Better The Devil You Know
by Shadow Dranzer 55
Summary: Sequel to Better Best forgotten. Set nine years later. Old friendships are rekindled but amongst the happiness lingers death and deceit. Can Kai and co save the poor abused souls at their school before a new reign of terror tries to gain control? Yeah I know, summary sucks. Yaoi pairings. No like, no read.
1. Chapter 1

Hello once again audience! (Sorry Tobuscus, I just had to say that at least once in my lifetime)

As promised, here is Better The Devil You Know. Yes I'm aware that it's named after a Kylie Minogue song but I don't care.

So here's that familiar disclaimer then on with the show

I do not own beyblade, only the characters and bitbeasts I personally have made.

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Chapter 1

Years Have Flown

The streets of Russia were cold in the early January light. A boy aged about eighteen woke up rubbing his chestnut eyes clear of sleep that had gathered. Long turquoise blue hair flowed quietly as the boy walked. He had a scar running from behind his right ear and down under the chin. A silver haired amber eyed lad intercepted him on his way to the bathroom. The new young man looked to be around seventeen years old. "Morning Lenin. Did you sleep well?" Lenin gave a small nod in reply, gently moving the boy aside so he could get ready for the day. Nine years it had been since the string of births. Lenin had grown to be tall and fairly handsome with a strong, slightly pointed chin. His skin was still pale due to a lot of time indoors. Only ten years ago he and Rikku had escaped from Balkov Abbey and were adopted by Martin after that. Demi had gone away after only a few months of the boys meeting her. Since then Martin had failed to find another partner. Lenin had lost most of his memories over the long years of being sheltered and home tutored by Martin's sister. The memory of Kirill had vanished as Rikku took his place at Lenin's side.

It didn't take Lenin long to get ready. He had a quick shower, washed his face and brushed his teeth with Rikku beside him. Lenin allowed Rikku to tie his hair into a plait before heading downstairs for breakfast. Martin had hardly aged a day but a few wrinkles were starting to show on his tired face. "Morning Lenin. Looking mighty dandy today. You be careful with those girls. Don't want you getting yourself into a hole so deep there ain't no way of crawling back out." Lenin smiled and patted Martin on the shoulder, setting about getting himself some breakfast. Rikku entered the kitchen just as Lenin turned the oven on. He too was fairly good looking though somewhat short compared to Lenin who now stood at 7'02" in height. Rikku didn't have to say a word as Lenin set three plates on the side, knowing Martin probably hadn't eaten yet.

After breakfast, Rikku washed the dishes whilst Lenin slipped into leather biker gear with a long black jacket on his back. The bottom of the jacket fastened around Lenin's legs so it wouldn't billow behind him and blind other drivers. "Boys, I have something to tell you. Come and sit yourselves down." Rikku looked at Lenin, his eyes shining with uncertainty. He'd hardly recovered from the abuse that all abbey boys suffered. Even Lenin was still plagued by the past. They did as Martin asked and sat opposite him at the kitchen table. "Boys. I know this is rather sudden but please don't think ill of me. You've been good sons over the years and I just wanted to thank you for making me such a happy man. As of next week, you'll be attending at the school for abused youngsters." "But why? We don't need some freaks trying to pry into our heads." Martin had expected Rikku to be aggressive about the matter but his words still stung. "Rikku, son. Most of the teachers there are just like you and Lenin. They were abused too. That's why Mr. Hiwatari opened up the school." Martin looked at Lenin to see his face was neutral. As if he didn't care.

Martin had always wondered what went on in Lenin's mind. Being a mute, he was hard to understand. Even for Martin who had known him for ten years. "Boys, I know the abuse still haunts you to this day. Despite how much love and care I raised you with. I just want what's best for you. And you'll always have a room here for the holidays." Then it happened. Rikku finally snapped, slamming his hands down on the table, eyes ablaze with anger. "You just don't want us anymore! Is that it?! You feel that your job is done don't you?!" "Rikku, it's not like that. You both mean the world to me. I would never seek to throw you out of my life. Without you and Lenin, I'd probably be down in the gutter by now." "Stop lying to me! I might have grown up knowing you but you're still an adult and after my experiences, adults always lie!" Before Rikku could hurt Martin further, Lenin pulled him back into his seat, still seemingly uncaring. "Lenin? Why are you defending him?" In response, Lenin gave Rikku a face he knew not to mess with. Lenin understood Martin's reasons.

Rikku relaxed against Lenin's arm, calming his rapidly beating heart. His temper had always been easy to flare up, especially when it came to being sent somewhere that Martin couldn't go to. "Thank you, Lenin. I knew you'd understand. I do not blame Rikku for acting the way he did. It's only natural for one who's been abandoned before. You can come and visit me whenever you like. Kai understands that you're very sensitive about being away from me. I explained everything. Though, I forgot to tell him your name, Lenin." Lenin shook his head and waved a hand as if to say don't worry about it. He looked at the time before pulling a helmet over his head. Rikku clung desperately to Lenin's waist, not wanting him to go. "Rikku, Lenin's got to do his job. He'll be back soon. You know he will. Now stop being silly." Rikku did as he was told and allowed Lenin to leave the house with a bag of newspapers over his shoulder. Lenin walked around to the garage where a motorbike sat waiting to be ridden. Igniting the engine, Lenin revved it a little to warm the mechanics up some before heading off on his round. Nobody in the street knew how Lenin could stand riding a bike in the cold of winter. In very little time, Lenin reached the first row of houses that needed their papers.

The bike engine rumbled to a stop before Lenin got off, resting it on its sturdy leg. He got to the third door just as an auburn haired girl opened it. She had rosy pink eyes and a stud in her right ear at the top. "Good morning Lenin. Why don't you come in and have a cup of tea? I'm all by myself right now and I would appreciate the company." Lenin accepted the offer, removing the heavy bag from his muscular shoulder. The girl took off his helmet and kissed him passionately. Instead of having the offered cup of tea, Lenin was taken upstairs where he stripped the attractive young woman and made love to her. She saddened when he had to go and deliver the rest of the papers, reluctantly letting him go but not before leaving a bruise on Lenin's neck. Lenin shivered as he stepped out into the cold and proceeded to make his rounds. With the first row done, Lenin moved on to the next section of town where even more people were waiting for his arrival with the daily news. His heart raced with anticipation, knowing more girls were waiting for his love.

Two blocks and three girls later, Lenin reached the last leg of his shift. He was about to deliver the last paper when a little boy caught his attention. He seemed lost, his two toned blue hair shifting in the breeze. Lenin flipped his visor up and walked towards the child as nobody else seemed to care. Frightened amethyst eyes clashed with Lenin's calm chestnut orbs. Now that Lenin was closer, he could see jagged grey highlights in the boys' frontal spiky light blue hair and smooth curved black streaks in the darker blue back tresses. Lenin sized him to be no older that eleven. The boy was confused when Lenin started to write on a small paper pad he carried with him in case of emergencies. Lenin was calm when the scared child clung to him without thinking of danger. "Please mister. I can't find my papa." Lenin suddenly looked alert, turning his head in various directions. He could hear somebody calling a name desperately in panic. Lenin took hold of the boys' hand and pulled him in the direction of the voice. Soon enough they found the caller. Kai was almost beet red in the face from all the yelling, pulling the child into his arms. "Gou, thank god you're alright. What have I told you about letting go of my hand?" "I just wanted to…" "I know. I was so worried."

Kai turned his gaze to Lenin whom stood with a hand on his hip and a paper in his hand. "Thank you so much young man. I don't know what I would've done if you hadn't of found my son." Lenin backed away with a look of anger in his eyes when Kai went to offer him a reward of money. "Okay. I can see you've got a lot of pride. What do you say Gou?" The young man in question wrapped his arms around Lenin's toned yet slender waist, receiving a playful tap on the head with the newspaper Lenin was holding. "Thank you mister. You sure do have pretty eyes. Don't you think so papa?" "Come on. Your father will be getting worried. Thanks again, stranger." Lenin waved a little as Kai and Gou walked away. With a sigh, he finally delivered the last of his papers. Before heading home, Lenin had to report in at the office that his papers came from. Once there, Lenin was pinned by yet another hot young woman in her office. He came out ten minutes later and headed to see the boss.

At the mansion, Hiro was relieved when Kai and Gou returned. Upon his arrival, Gou was swamped by girls. Nina rolled her eyes, used to the sight of her nephew getting all the attention. At fourteen years of age, she was very attractive. Nina's dark blue hair went down to her knees and two thick strands settled over her shoulders to rest on a pair of D-cup breasts. She was Serenity all over with the same alluring, slightly narrow eyes. Raziel gained her attention easily, wrapping his arms around Nina's hourglass figure. He was now a fine looking young man with spiky shoulder length red hair and piercing icy blue eyes that had developed some green colouration around the pupil. "Hey sweetness." "Raziel. I might've known it was you." "Who else has such good looks that are to die for?" You could really tell that Raziel was Tala's son since he had an almost identical voice with only a hint of Michael. "Hey now son not too hasty. You're barely even old enough to shave." Tala's voice held a dash of laughter as he clapped Raziel on the back. Not much had changed about Tala over nine years. Though he was noticeably rather round in the middle. "Papa, you're embarrassing me." "That's what I'm here for you handsome devil of a boy."

Tala sighed softly and looked around at the large family. All the youngsters had grown up into fine children. Emmeline for one was just like her father. Always smiling no matter what. Rin had her mothers' temper and she adored Gou above all other boys she knew. Her dark pink hair was long but shorter than Emmeline's, who had waist length blonde hair owning natural red highlights, her eyes a bright, bouncy sapphire blue. Kenny and Emily's daughter Chihiro was Kenny's miniature with her short hair that spiked in every direction and her lavender eyes that were framed by more sensible glasses to the ones he wore. Salima and Bryan's little girl Seraphita was just like her father but not as maniacal. She would be sweet and innocent one minute and volatile the next. Her lilac hair ended at the middle of her back. Kiro was very much like Mystel in every way with the exception of his super long blonde hair. He had Emmeline's attention almost constantly. Kai's twin brothers, Ico and Aio were little monsters.

At home they were complete angels but at school, the twins were two of the meanest bullies around. Not only could you tell them apart by their eyes, Ico had longer hair than Aio. Gou now had a little sister. The girl was about six years old with Hiro's every feature. She was also a bit of a daddy's girl. Rin had a little brother about the same age as Gou's sister. He was Ray's clone from head to toe. He turned out to be quite a daddy's boy. Some members of the large family were missing from the room, namingly Spencer's side. Tala's eyes lastly rested on little Sonya Hiwatari. The girl had adapted well to being blind since birth. Semyon was never far behind her whenever she crawled around the place. Though there were times he couldn't prevent Sonya from bumping into tables and people. She now had a guide dog called Timmy. He was a lovely chocolate brown Labrador. He and Sonya were inseparable for obvious reasons. He was only about two years old but Timmy did a good job of keeping Sonya safe. Strangers were often kept at a comfortable distance by Timmy's menacing growl. Just as Kai hated Sonya, Timmy despised Kai though for family reasons they had to get along with each other. It was either that or be punished by Semyon's belt.

The school was doing well for itself. Not all of the students had recovered from their trauma and were still there nine years on. Others were now leading happy lives with their new families. Tala's parents were eventually able to adopt Kindra and she grew up to be a sassy young woman. Kindra was now eighteen years old with F-cup breasts that attracted a lot of attention whenever she went to visit her friends at the school. Kindra had a perfect figure much like Nina and she never hesitated to show it. Even in winter she'd go around in tight denim shorts and low cut shirts. Dante and Arcana had two children, little Sebastian junior and a girl who had light pink hair and purplish blue eyes. She was no older than four years old. Delilah remained single to raise Vincent. He was Virgil without much of the attitude. Kai always felt proud whenever he looked at Vincent. The boy knew his father was dead and he took it on the chin, looking after his mother as she did him. He was also Sebastian's closest cousin.

Everyone was laughing happily until the main doors were thrown open. Nobody had to guess who had just entered the building. The way the doors were opened said everything. Moments later a taller, broader Kirill walked into the room. Over the years he'd taken the darker path in life since nothing eased the pain he felt inside. Kirill had gone gothic when he reached his fourteenth birthday and his friends were the same. In fact, they were the ones who inspired Kirill to become a singer in their rock band. Alehandro wasn't far behind Kirill. He was in a one-sided relationship with Kirill and had been for about a year. Kai's theory of Kirill being gay when he grew up was right on the money. But it was rare that he allowed Alehandro any form of affection. Because deep down, he still wanted Lenin. There was no love in Kirill's eyes as Serenity embraced him with Nina. They worried about Kirill whenever he went out. Like Lenin, Kirill was now every girl's dream after he'd turned rebellious and muscular. But then he was breathtakingly handsome, much like Kai. "I'm fine mom. You don't need to worry about me." Kirill's voice was hoarse and gravelly from lack of use. Serenity coughed a little when she smelt cigarette smoke on Kirill's breath. "Have you been smoking again Kirill?"

The young man in question only shrugged and journeyed up to his room. Alehandro chose to stay behind since Kirill wasn't in his happiest dark mood. He didn't like the look Serenity was giving him. "Hey now don't look at me. I keep telling Kirill that smoking isn't healthy but he never listens. We didn't push him into such a dirty habit." "I'm sorry Alehandro. I just wish Kirill would cheer up a little. We understand that he's hurting but…" "Sen. We're doing all we can. You know that our personalities haven't really changed. We've just grown up." "You're right. I shouldn't worry so much. Does he smoke often?" "Naw. Kirill only has about three a day. He's getting better since I had Spencer clobber his ear." "You have our thanks." Alehandro smiled and placed a hand on Serenity's shoulder, giving it a little squeeze. With a sigh, he went to confront Kirill's foul mood. Serenity guessed that the boys had already had a fight over something. For no reason, Alehandro appeared to be jealous of Lenin.

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So whaddya think? Gonna keep reading? Me hopes so.

Suddenly I find myself accompanied by Kirill.

Kirill: Just shut up and get on with the fic woman

Me: Oh just be patient before I call your father to come sort you out.

Well please R&R and I'll bring you more chapters!


	2. Chapter 2

Here we are, Chappie number two. I just wanted to say a BIG thanks to Keiichi Keii for their reviews of the last story. (Probably should've put this in the first chapter)

In this chapter, two friends are reunited, but will the bond they once had still remain?

Read on and find out!

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Chapter 2

We Meet Again My Friend

Days later it was time for Lenin and Rikku to enrol at Kai's school. Martin waited in the kitchen like he did every morning but something seemed different about Lenin today. He was having hot flushes in cool places and Lenin's left hand was almost constantly hovering over the old gunshot wound in his left side. "Lenin are you feeling okay? Is the wound playing up?" Lenin forced a smile before gritting his teeth in pain. He managed to push the pain back in time for Rikku's arrival in the kitchen. Since Lenin wasn't feeling well, Martin cooked the breakfast. As usual, Rikku washed up after the morning meal, a sad look in his eyes. Martin knew it would be harder for Rikku but Lenin would be right there by his side. At 7:30am it was time to leave. "Well boys this is it. Time to go to school." Although Lenin knew that Martin wanted to spend as much time with him and Rikku as he could, there was still his paper round to do. Martin gave Lenin the school's address before taking Rikku on ahead. It was difficult for Martin to pry Rikku from Lenin but one stern look from Lenin made Rikku move like a rocket. Within at least ten minutes, Martin pulled up outside Kai's school.

Rikku didn't want to get out of the car but he knew that Lenin would be angry if he didn't so with that horrifying thought in mind; Rikku stepped out into the cold, hugging his coat tightly. "Here we are Rikku. Kai Hiwatari's school for abused people. Since it doesn't say youngsters, I'm guessing there are adults here too. Come on. Let's go and meet the Headmaster." Rikku grimaced as he walked beside Martin. They were greeted warmly by Emily and Salima. "Good morning and welcome to Kai Hiwatari's school for abused people. How can I help you today?" "Well you sure are polite. Not like a few receptionists I've met. My name is Martin and this is Rikku. We have an appointment with Mr. Hiwatari at eight o'clock this morning." "Just a second. Okay I'll let him know you're here. It says that you have two sons." "Yes. The other is just doing his morning paper round."

Emily smiled sweetly and indicated for Martin and Rikku to take a seat whilst she called Kai out of his office. Martin took to his feet immediately when he saw Kai coming. "Mr. Hiwatari. A pleasure to see you again." "As it is to see you Martin. So is this Rikku?" "Yes. He's rather shy." "That's fine. I'm sure he'll settle down in no time. I've asked one of the longer residing students to look after your boys until they've properly gotten to know the place. Might I ask where the second young man is?" "He's just doing his morning paper round right now. He should be here shortly. I gave him the address before he left." "That's perfectly fine. Why don't we go for a walk to pass a little time? The group assembly will start at around half eight." "Wonderful. Come on Rikku. Mr. Hiwatari won't bite. Like I said, he knows what you've been through." Rikku grumbled unpleasant words under his breath as he and Martin followed Kai around the school. Kai would notice occasionally that Rikku kept staring at his bulking stomach. "What's up Rikku? Haven't you ever seen a pregnant man before?" "P-P-Pregnant?!" "Alright not so loud. As Martin said, I went through the Abbey as a boy and thus, I came out with something in my body that shouldn't be there."

Rikku seemed somewhat horrified to learn that Kai was carrying a growing child within his body, keeping some distance between them. After a twenty minute walk Kai led Martin and Rikku to the big hall where all the students were hopefully gathered. Rikku cowered when he saw some familiar faces amongst the boys. Some of them even taunted him until Sothe clipped their ears with a stun rod. "Are those things really necessary Mr. Hiwatari?" "Please, call me Kai. And yes. In some cases, stun rods are considered necessary since those big boys up there were at the Abbey for a long time. Similar to the time period I and few friends were imprisoned there. Rest assured we do not hurt them seriously unless they force us to do so. And they will on most occasions. But I'm sure that Rikku won't cause any trouble." Kai looked at Rikku to see he was still cowering, fearing for his life. Martin hoped that Lenin wouldn't be absent from Rikku's side for too long. The boy needed him for support.

Martin and Rikku sat down amongst Kai and the others while they were waiting for Lenin to arrive. With Kai in no condition to stand, Spencer gave the morning announcement of anything special that might be happening but he left out the part that Rikku and Lenin would be moving in. That was Kai's duty as Headmaster. With his speech over, Spencer made way for Kirill's band to set up their guitars. For reasons unknown, Rikku felt threatened by Kirill. "Might I ask who that is Kai?" "That's my little brother Kirill. He's been in a bad way for eleven years since he lost his best friend." "The poor boy. He sure looks rough." "We've tried to make Kirill see that his change is hurting us but he won't listen to anyone. Not even his own mother." Martin felt sorry for Kai, noticing the pained look in his amethyst eyes. 'Come on Lenin. Don't take too long. Rikku's close to having a panic attack.' Just as those thoughts ran through Martin's mind, Lenin walked into the reception. "Good morning. How may I help you? You're not one of our students." When sign language failed, Lenin jotted something down on his notepad. "Ahh I see. You're Martin's other boy. I'll just call for someone to come get you. One moment." Lenin nodded and sat down on a chair to wait.

Within minutes of Emily getting off the phone, Delilah entered the reception area smiling. Lenin stood without being told and followed Delilah down the halls. "My you're a tall fellow. You must hit your head a lot." Delilah felt out of place when Lenin didn't answer. "Well pardon me for being…" Delilah stopped mid sentence when Lenin handed her his pad and she realised her mistake. "I'm so sorry I didn't know you were a mute. Please forgive me." This time Lenin nodded and flipped up his visor, not caring to remove his helmet for the time being. Rikku clung to Lenin the very second he became visible. Kai had a hard time keeping his eyes on the boy. "He sure can move." "Yes Rikku is quite quick when it comes to fleeing. That must mean my big boy is here." "Big boy?" Kai didn't need answering when he laid his eyes on Lenin. "I see what you mean by big. Not just in height either." The boys at the back didn't need to see Lenin's face to know who he was. Standing with Rikku gave him away.

Lenin ignored the taunting to pry Rikku's arms from his ribs so he could breathe and unfasten the belts around his legs that kept the jacket in place. Kai had to admit, it was a handy coat to have. Gou soon wanted Kai's attention, pulling on his arm. That was until he saw Lenin. Gou left a few people rather confused when he hugged Lenin without hesitation. "I know those pretty eyes anywhere." "Gou what are you talking about?" "Remember papa? When I got lost the other day." "Yeah. Oh I see now. I recognise the leathers." "And I remember the aftershave he was wearing too." Lenin was grateful he hadn't removed the helmet as heat rushed to his cheeks. He ruffled Gou's hair and pushed him back gently. "Can I see your face now mister? You must be hot under there." Lenin shrugged his shoulders to say why not and proceeded to remove his helmet. Kai couldn't believe his eyes when he saw Lenin's face and the scar on his neck. He was in shock and it showed. "Papa what's wrong? Do you know him?" Kai didn't seem to hear Gou as he slowly stepped forwards, reaching out a shaking hand. "Lenin? Is that you?" Lenin cocked his head to the side inquisitively in response.

Lenin stood completely still as Kai touched his cheek. He wasn't afraid of slowly approaching contact. Rikku could only stare in confusion. He'd never seen Lenin allowing another man to touch his face. "Lenin? Do you know this guy?" Rikku received a negative shake of the head in response and Kai looked mildly hurt. "I thought time would do this. Lenin, you might not remember but you were my little brother's best friend. We've been looking for you over ten years. Yet you were hiding right under our noses." Lenin blinked, processing everything that Kai said. "How did you get out of there? The security was seriously tight. There's no way you could…" Kai stopped talking when he noticed that Lenin was holding his wounded side. He looked over at Kirill who was too busy singing cover songs from rock bands to notice what was happening on the sidelines. 'This is gonna break Kirill's heart. But I'm sure that we can get Lenin to remember the bond they shared. I'll have to keep an eye on Rikku though. The boy seems rather possessive of Lenin. Just like Alehandro will be of Kirill.'

Kai ended his thoughts with a soft sigh, wrapping an arm around Gou's shoulder. When Hiro arrived, he had the same shock but said nothing, knowing Kai would've already said something. "Kai you need to rest." "I'm fine Hiro. Just a little hungry that's all. Well boys. Lyov is up there waiting for you. He'll be your guide until you've settled down." Kai indicated to a young man with long ginger hair and gleaming green eyes. He looked to be eighteen years old at the most. Lenin turned and made his way up the stairs without argument and Rikku undoubtedly followed. Martin was a bit worried about the younger boy. "Kai, do you think Rikku will be okay? He's got quite a temper that can be flared rather easily." "We can handle him. Though I must forewarn you. If either of them break certain rules we have, they will be punished. Same goes if they attack my friends and family without provocation." "Kai, they're not violent boys. Just misunderstood. If Rikku did get into trouble, Lenin would shield him. They'd never seek to hurt anyone unless they get hurt first." "I understand Martin. We'll do what we can to tackle Rikku's anger issues. Is there anything in particular that starts him off?" "Being abandoned by an adult he trusts."

Kai understood the issues Rikku was having, reassuring Martin that he'd be safe. And hopefully a harder to anger person. Martin stayed for a little while longer to meet all the staff that would play a part in helping the boys get over their pasts. He also warned Kai about Lenin's habit of being a ladies man. It would be kind of hard to keep Lenin away from the girls and vice versa. At the present time they were all attracted to Kirill. Lyov offered his hand to Lenin in a friendly way but he was just ignored. "Awkward. So young man. Might I get to shake your hand instead?" Rikku answered by quickly moving past Lyov and sitting beside Lenin. "Alright then. I think we'll get along just fine. The name's Lyov. I will admit most people call me Lyon. And you are?" Lenin gave Rikku the all clear before falling asleep. "I'm Rikku and this is Lenin." "Hey wait a sec. You two are the ones who got out of Balkov Abbey. You guys have a lot of admirers among folks our age and a little younger. I'm one of them. Don't worry I won't hound you for answers."

Rikku shied away, clinging to Lenin's arm but he was removed almost instantly. Lenin hated it when Rikku clung to him in public even if he didn't want to admit it. Being rejected appeared to hurt Rikku. Until Lenin gave him his 'not out here' look and he perked up a fraction. Lyov watched in silence for a few minutes before returning his attention to the stage. When Lyov's eyes rested on Kirill, they seemed to dance. "Lyov, who is that guy you keep staring at?" "Hm? Oh that's Kirill. I thought Mr. Hiwatari already told you?" "I wasn't really paying attention." "That's okay. Kirill is Kai's little brother. I've sorta known him for ten years." "How long have you been here?" "Ten years. And I must say I've been happy here." "You…have?" "Yes Rikku. The staff are there for us if we need them. The big zalupas back there can't get that into their heads. Rikku, if you ever need anything, I'm always happy to help. We Abbey boys have to stick together sometimes. I'll look after you. Even Lenin is vulnerable to harm." "Kai said that Lenin used to be Kirill's best friend." "Really? Well it'll kinda make his day to see him again. He'll be hurt to find that Lenin doesn't remember him." Lyov noticed hostility in Rikku's eyes when he looked at Kirill.

As the morning went on, Rikku got to know Lyov whilst Lenin slept. Kirill took very few breaks between songs and soon, one of Lyov's favourites came up. Judging by the jigging of Lenin's foot he knew most of the songs. "What's this one called Lyov?" "This Ain't' a Scene It's a God Damn Arms Race by Fallout Boy. Near the end he'll get the audience to sing the chorus a couple of times. It really does get the anger out of your system. Why don't you boys sing it with me? When the time comes?" Rikku looked at Lenin feeling a little sad. "Lenin can't Lyov." "Oh? Why not?" "He can't speak." "Oh I see. Well I'm sure Spencer can do something about that. Has he always been a mute?" "As long as I've known him. We've been together for about eleven years now." "So it'll be hard for you should Lenin want a family one day. Don't worry Rikku. You'll make new friends here. And you've always, always got a friend in me. That I do promise. Ah." "Are you okay?" "Yeah. Just took a knife to the leg yesterday. I'll be fine."

Since meeting Lyov, Rikku was somewhat looking forward to staying at the school. He saddened when Martin had to go home. Lenin only nodded but Martin knew that on the inside, Lenin wanted to cry and hold him tight. He was still a child at heart. After about half an hour, Lenin was getting antsy. He was sweating like crazy and seemed to be in a lot of discomfort. Rikku had no chance to ask what was wrong when Lenin made his way out of the room but Rikku gave chase. Lyov wanted to follow but he'd never be able to keep up. It just so happened that Kirill was taking a break from singing under Kai's insistence and he noticed Lenin leaving the room. 'Was that…Lenin?' Nobody had chance to stop Kirill as he pursued Lenin and Rikku. Upon reaching a balcony, Lenin fell to his knees. Rikku arrived in time to stop him falling to the floor and causing his head serious harm. "Lenin! What's wrong?" Lenin moved one of Rikku's hands to his left side, wincing greatly. Rikku lifted Lenin's shirt after unzipping the biker jacket to see the healed wound had become inflamed. Rikku remembered one time when he'd banged his head; Martin placed some ice on the swelling lump.

With that knowledge in mind, Rikku scooped some snow up in his hands and compacted it into a solid shape. Lenin bolted in pain when Rikku placed the hardened snow to the swollen area of his side. "Hang on Lenin. You're gonna be okay." Lenin was about to send Rikku to get help when Kirill arrived. His face was washed with shock when he looked at Lenin. 'He…he's just how I imagined him. Tall, strong and outlandishly handsome.' "Lenin! I'm so glad you're alive." Rikku was so busy holding the hand made icepack to Lenin's side he could do nothing to stop Kirill hugging Lenin's neck. Tears were streaming down Kirill's face as he nuzzled his cheek against the cold skin of Lenin's face. "I've missed you so much." Lenin just stared at Kirill without blinking. "It's me, Kirill. You remember me don't you?" Kirill's heart broke more when Lenin shook his head slowly. "It doesn't matter if you don't remember me. I'm happy to know that you didn't die in that place. I'll go get help. Try and hold on." Lenin smiled weakly as he and Rikku watched Kirill running inside.

It wasn't long before Kirill returned with Spencer and Max. Rikku was left speechless when Lenin was taken into Max's arms and rushed inside. Rikku ran after them, not wanting to be away from Lenin. Unfortunately, Lyov intercepted him at the operating room with a blonde haired brown eyed boy that owned a fair amount of muscle. "I can't leave him Lyov!" "It's alright Rikku. Lenin's safe." Lyov sat Rikku on one of the chairs that lined the walls to try and calm him down. He felt the immediate relief upon sitting down himself with the help of the blonde boy. "Thanks Hayner. Can you tell me what happened Rikku?" "When Lenin and I were escaping from the Abbey, Lenin got shot in the left side. If it wasn't for our step father almost hitting us with his car the night we met, Lenin would've died. I still don't know how he came back to us though." Lyov furrowed his eyebrows, unable to understand what Rikku said. "What do you mean Rikku? Did Lenin stop breathing?" Rikku nodded slowly, tears welling up in his eyes as he remembered that fateful night. "The doctors said he wasn't responding to the defibrillator but when I tried to keep them away from Lenin, he came back. Almost as if I was the one who had saved him."

"Well Rikku by the sound of things you and Lenin have a very close bond. I think Lenin came back because his spirit could see how distressed you were. It's also possible that there's a bitbeast watching over him." Rikku's eyes seemed to dance at the mentioning of bitbeasts. He himself had never owned one but the bond was described as unbreakable and life changing. "Lyov, do you have a bitbeast?" "I'm afraid not. The Headmaster got us out of the Abbey before I could receive one." "Are you happy to not have a bitbeast Lyov? I always dreamed of having one." "In all honesty I am a bit jealous of the students here who do have a bitbeast but I'm sure I was never meant to own one. Did you have any specific ideas of what you wanted your bitbeast to look like Rikku?" "Well after we were adopted Lenin and I were home schooled. Our step aunt taught us a lot about many different creatures. I don't know why but I kinda imagined that if I had a bitbeast, it would be a dolphin. Or something marine like." "And what about Lenin?"

Rikku shrugged his shoulders before noticing that Kirill was leaning on the opposite wall, eyes closed and arms folded tightly across his chest. Lyov tried to keep Rikku distracted so that he didn't pick a fight. "So you're saying Lenin never dreamed of having a bitbeast?" "We never really talked about it. I felt somewhat insecure about admitting my own ideas." "I'm sure Lenin would never make fun of you. He's your brother after all." "What about you?" "Me? Well I'm not really sure. I was always too busy feeling left out to think about it. But I suppose if I had to choose a bitbeast creature, I'd want a Veloceraptor. Or something along those lines. I've always been fascinated with dinosaurs that were fast and cunning hunters. Who knows, maybe one day your dream might come true if you wish hard enough. In some cases, the bitbeast chooses its master unless they're passed down in the family. Or man made. But believe it or not, they can hear our thoughts in their world. Bitbeasts really are amazing creatures. Kai's father in law can tell you everything he knows about them." All eyes turned to the door when Max came out of the operating room looking rather peeved. His left eye was swelling really badly.

Lyov kept his eyes on Rikku as Max spoke with Kirill. He turned to Rikku once Kirill was heading in the opposite direction. "Alright young man I need you to tell me how Lenin got shot in the side." "Max, he was shot when he and Rikku were escaping from the Abbey. Is something wrong?" "For no clear reason, the wound has become infected on the inside. We've cleared out all the gross stuff and in doing so; Spencer found remains of a capsule. By the looks of things, that's what caused the infection." "Is Lenin gonna be okay?" Hayner had to hold Rikku down to stop him jumping out of his seat. Max rested a hand gently on Rikku's shoulder and smiled. "Yes he'll be fine. Lenin will need to rest for a few days so he's gonna have to stay in bed. I'm sure his sex life can hang on until then. Don't worry Rikku. Kai has informed all of us about Lenin's luck with girls." Lyov sighed, knowing he was in for a headache. "Great. A ladies man. I'll go get the keys from the Headmaster. Hayner, stay with Rikku. Just in case." Hayner nodded briskly and stayed right beside Rikku without saying a word. The buff blonde intrigued Rikku.

An hour later, Rikku and Lenin were shown to their rooms. To make a start on Rikku's confidence, Kai had given him a room some way away from Lenin's. Lyov gave Lenin his room key so he could settle in and rest. The dorm room wasn't too big but it was large enough to meet living standards. On the right wall there was a single bed. Opposite to that was a television atop a chest of draws with a built in DVD player. There was a door next to that leading into a moderately sized bathroom. Both the bathroom and main doors were sliders which sort of made them harder to break down. Lenin locked his door with a sigh and unpacked his bags before lying down to rest. He wondered how long it would be before Rikku came knocking, seeking comfort. Lenin was woken about two hours later by a knock on the door. He expected to see Rikku, but instead it was Kirill outside with a tray in his hands. To Lenin, it looked like Kirill wanted to find an excuse to visit him. "Hey. I err…thought you might be hungry." Lenin stepped aside, letting Kirill into the room. It was only then that he noticed there was a small desk in the room with a chair.

Kirill set the tray down before turning to face Lenin. He seemed a little nervous. "Lenin I…" 'He can't seem to find the words he wants to say. That's kinda cute. In a way, he's just like Rikku.' Lenin kept his eyes locked on Kirill's face as he nervously shifted his weight from foot to foot. Kirill soon removed a necklace from around his neck. It was a moonstone pendant made of the finest quality silver. "Here. This is yours. Ten years ago Lenin, you asked me to look after it for you until our next meeting. In honesty, I feared I'd never see you again." Lenin took the necklace, memories running through his head that had been lost to him. 'My…my mothers' pendant. She gave this to me for my fourth birthday. I remember her telling me that inside is two pictures. One is of my father and one of her. So that no matter where I went, they'd always be with me. I thought I'd lost it in the Abbey a long time ago. But Kirill was holding onto this precious treasure for me. All because I asked him to. But I don't remember doing so. Maybe now my memories will start to come back.'

Kirill stood completely still when Lenin wrapped his muscular arms around him, tears falling from closed eyes. Kirill guessed the hug was Lenin's way of saying thanks so he returned it, rubbing his back soothingly. "You're welcome. I guess the people in there are your parents. You look just like your mother, Lenin. One day I just opened it by accident whilst cleaning the silver casing." 'You did nothing wrong, Kirill. In fact, I feel sorta happy that you were able to see my parents. At least they've been properly cared for. Hnghh.' Kirill pulled out of the hug when he felt Lenin's jaw clenching on his shoulder, helping him to sit down at the table. "I should go so you can rest up. I've noticed the way Rikku looks at me. Could you maybe ask him to ease off a bit? I have no intensions of coming between you two. Even though I knew you first and we shared a very strong bond that I'd like to rekindle." Lenin nodded with a small smile and Kirill felt like a burden had been taken from his shoulders as he left the room. With Kirill gone, Lenin looked at the food he'd been given. It looked professionally made. 'Did Kirill make this? If he did, that means somebody was able to teach him. Despite his coldness.'

Lenin was caught off guard when his stomach growled loudly at him, demanding to be filled. With no objections he ate the well dressed meal with care not to rush. Not only did the food look good, it tasted fantastic. The semi-rare duck fillet simply melted in the mouth and the vegetables had sweetness to them that Lenin liked. After finishing, Lenin left a little note on the tray but he didn't know where to take it. His prayers were answered when Ray arrived and took it for him. When Ray arrived in the staff kitchen almost everyone was there, including Kirill who happened to be sipping on a glass of gin. "Okay who cooked this? There's some positive feedback for the chef?" Kirill looked up at Ray with a face that said 'I did.' Ray handed the little note to Kirill whilst he went to go wash up the plate. It warmed Kirill's heart to hear that Lenin had enjoyed the meal, smiling ever so slightly to himself. 'There's plenty more where that came from, Lenin. I hope Rikku enjoyed his lunch. I'd rather not make an enemy out of him. But I guess it may be unavoidable.'

* * *

Oh dear, Lenin doesn't remember Kirill! Double oh dear, here comes Kirill with a venemous look in his eyes!

I'm off to live for another day! you guys know the drill!


	3. Chapter 3

Here we are at chapter three already. I have secluded myself on a distant island where nobody can find me!

Warning, there is moderate violence within this chapter.

If there was any _**writing like this in the last chapter,** _I apologise for not stating that it is Sign Language.

With that cleared up, let's go!

* * *

Chapter 3

Troubles

Several days went by after Rikku and Lenin arrived at the school. Lenin was now widely adored by the female population and even some of the guys secretly fancied him. Rikku made a few new friends and thus, spent less time wanting Lenin to protect him. Lenin however had no real interest in making friends, more interested in delighting the girls who were happy to lie bare with him. He also still made his morning rounds with the papers. The weekend arrived and Lenin found himself bored, wondering if Kirill would visit soon. He wandered around the halls aimlessly, trying to find something to do. Down a separate hall however, Sonya was trying to find Timmy. She could faintly hear him calling for her as she gingerly stepped through the corridor. Sonya soon collided face first with a big buff lad who had an evil grin on his face. "Hey there sweetheart. You look lost. What's the matter?" "I can't find my dog, Timmy. Have you seen him?"

Since Sonya was blind she was unable to see the sickening lust in the boys' eyes as he stroked his bristly chin. "I'm afraid not but I can help you look for him. This is a big place. He could be anywhere." Back with Lenin, his senses clicked, alerting him that something was wrong. He'd always had the ability to know when somebody was in danger. Some people even claimed he was psychic. Without even thinking, Lenin followed his sixth sense with haste, hoping he wasn't too late. The boy was about to lead Sonya away by the hand when Lenin arrived and stopped her from walking. He too could hear the yowling of a dog in distress. Sonya didn't know what to do with two people fighting to take her one way or the other. "What's going on? Why did you stop me?" When Lenin saw that Sonya was blind he knew communicating her would be difficult and he couldn't write in brail. Instead of words or writing, Lenin used actions to portray his intensions to Sonya and she seemed to understand that being held close meant that someone was protecting her. Lenin backed away when more boys appeared.

Luckily, Lenin received backup in the form of Semyon and Sothe. The boys seemed to back off a little when Sothe stepped forwards with a stun rod in hand. Semyon was relieved to see Sonya hadn't been harmed. "Sonya!" "Papa! I can't find Timmy." "Don't worry princess we'll go look for him. Come to me. Follow the sound of my voice." Lenin watched curiously as Sonya waved her walking stick slowly in a wide area around her feet whilst she also followed Semyon's voice, reaching his arms unscathed. "Can you tell us what happened Lenin? These guys have been known to trick youngsters into thinking they'll help but hurt them instead." Unsure if Sothe or Semyon understood sign language, Lenin wrote on his notepad that would soon need refreshing since he'd been using it an awful lot. Sothe scanned the writing, looking for any signs that Lenin might be lying. He was about to speak when Kai arrived. "I see you've met the runt of the family, Lenin. Boys, get yourselves to my office immediately. Surely you should've learned your lesson by now. Don't worry old man, it won't be me dealing with them." Lenin was confused with Kai's sudden hostility, looking from him to Sonya.

Semyon saw clear confusion of Lenin's face and he sighed, knowing that the boy would be putting two and two together somehow. "Lenin, don't waste your time trying to work it out. I'll lay it out plain and simple for you. Kai and Sonya don't get along. I can't really tell you right now why that is but I'm sure you can see the visible difference between them. Sothe, take Sonya to Serenity. She'll be safe there." Sothe nodded silently, taking Sonya one way and Kai went the other to get the heinous young men dealt with, leaving Semyon with a more confused Lenin. "Lenin, ten years ago I made a deal with Iosif. You might not remember but the day I made that deal with the devil, I went to see you. It was there that you introduced me to Rikku and gave me your pendant for Kirill to hold onto. You can use sign language. I studied it long ago." Lenin nodded and used the stated language. _**"What deal did you make with Iosif? Why does Sonya look like him?" **_"Iosif is Sonya's father. If I gave him a son, he'd close the Abbey down. But alas, god was against me."

Lenin could see sorrow and pain in Semyon's eyes, placing a hand on his old shoulder for comfort. It was the least he could do. Having to break a promise wounded him deeply. "You don't hate her?" _**"At the end of the day, Sonya is a human being just like you and I. But I can understand why Kai loathes your daughter. I remember Iosif bragging to a fellow abuser that he had been able to defile the great Kai Hiwatari when he was a boy. Hearing him speak with such pride sickened me. I'm sure he'll come around in time. How old is she? Ten?" **_"Ten years old this October. I'm not sure that Kai will accept her, Lenin. His hatred has depleted a little over time but not completely. It probably never will unless Sonya proves herself worthy of the Hiwatari name. I should go find Timmy. Sonya will be very lost without him. Would you help me? He's a chocolate brown Labrador no taller than your knees." Lenin nodded and was about to start searching when a dog of Timmy's description came crashing into him. The animal seemed rather frightened. Semyon immediately took hold of the lead to stop the dog attacking Lenin. But to his surprise, Lenin was getting a sloppy kiss.

It made Semyon really happy to see Timmy accepting Lenin so quickly. "He knows you saved Sonya. Her scent is on your body. Both she and Timmy know that being held close in a shielding embrace means protection. Down Timmy. Normally he's quite stern with strangers." In response, Lenin gave Timmy a fuss before the blue eyed Labrador was taken to his master. 'Ugh. Dog slobber. I'd better go get a shower. And they'll now tell all the other bullies that I have a soft spot for children. I suppose it's true. I have always had this bond with young kids. But I just followed my senses. Can what people say about me be true? Am I psychic? Maybe one of the staff can help me. After all, Lyov said that they're for us. But I don't feel all that comfortable around the men. I can't think like that. They won't hurt me.' Making up his mind to speak with Ray, Lenin went to freshen himself up and check the staff roster. His room also lead to a small kitchen and now had a computer at the foot of the bed so Lenin could do his homework easier. To his luck, Ray was scheduled to teach a self defence class.

After having a bite to eat, Lenin made his way to the gym. He dressed himself in baggy yellow trousers and a tight neon green top just in case Ray wanted to try and make an example of him. Lenin arrived to see Ray sparring with Kirill to show the class various defensive manoeuvres. A smile crept onto Lenin's face when Kirill was tossed to the floor and he refused to get back up. Lenin made himself known before Ray could address the students. "Good afternoon Lenin. Care to join us?" Ray seemed disappointed when Lenin declined, handing him a little note. "Alright. I'll cut you a deal. Help me out and I'll answer all your questions. Don't worry I won't hit your weak spot." Since there seemed to be no other way to get Ray's help, Lenin stood on the mats and assumed an offensive position. Kirill moved aside so he didn't get caught in the crossfire. "Okay class. This time. My opponent is much taller than myself so I need to be able to block higher and defend slightly differently. Watch closely. Now Lenin, be gentle with me. You look rather strong." Ray had to duck quickly as Lenin delivered a punch to his face. Ray realised he'd put himself in a life death situation using Lenin as a sparring partner. 'Shit he's fast.'

The students watched in awe as Ray was put through his paces. Lenin proved harder to disarm than Kirill. His movements were fast and unforgiving should a blow be taken. And Ray received several strikes but he noticed that Lenin was careful not to hit any vital points of his body. In the end, Ray had to go on the offensive because defence wasn't helping against Lenin at all. The match ended when Lenin tossed Ray over his shoulder. Ray landed rather heavily and had probably just hurt his back. "Okay time out. That's the last time I'll be facing you Lenin. And this, my dear students, is why you never pick a fight with someone taller than yourself. Mariah will be here shortly with Rin to show you some of the basic moves. Please do not hate Lenin for harming me. I simply bit off more than I could chew." 'You sure did but I feel guilty seeing you lying wounded on the floor.' Kirill watched closely as Lenin helped Ray to sit on a bench being careful not to put pressure on his bruised back. 'Lenin sure is tough. I'll have to grow a few inches before taking him on.'

As promised, Mariah arrived with Rin so Ray could take a break in his office, taking Lenin with him for the promised chat. Kirill stayed behind to help Mariah. "So Lenin. This ability of yours. How often does it trigger? I have learned sign language. We all have." _**"I'm not really sure. Some people have made claims that I am psychic with my knack of knowing when somebody is in danger. Children, specifically." **_"Well we don't often see cases like this. Perhaps Mystel could help you better. But then I come from an oriental background so I suppose that's why you chose me. You mentioned in the note that something in your mind clicks when you sense danger. Can you describe it to me?" Lenin looked down at his hands, trying to find a way in which he could describe the feeling he receives when danger catches his sixth eye. _**"It's really hard to explain. In a way it's like a feeling. As if someone just found a switch in my mind and flicked it. On some occasions, I have heard what sounds like a faint voice saying hurry. I don't even know exactly where the scene of danger is. My legs just carry me." **_ Ray took some time to think, resting his elbows on the table and crossing his fingers.

Lenin felt somewhat intimidated by Ray's thinking pose, looking around the room to avoid making eye contact. The walls were almost covered in pictures of tigers, white ones mostly and Chinese landscapes. "The way you described this ability leads me to believe you might have a bitbeast trying to make contact with you, Lenin. It's nothing to be frightened about. That's what Driger thinks. In most cases, a bitbeast chooses its master. Some are passed down in families, like the four sacred bitbeasts. My Driger was part of the Wong family before he was handed to me as I showed great promise as a leader. Dranzer has guarded the Hiwatari family for generations, maybe even centuries. Dragoon, the northern dragon spirit, has fought alongside the Granger family for a very long time. And Draciel, the protective turtle of the western shores has been in Max's family for eons. Dranzer ruled the south sun and Driger oversaw the thunderous east plains. To our knowledge, Strata Dragoon and Metal Driger are not sacred. As you can see, every bitbeast has a past, just like we do as humans."

There was a look of uncertainty in Lenin's eyes at the thought of a bitbeast wanting to contact him. Ray noticed this uncertainty so he cleared his throat to gain Lenin's attention. "This is just a theory, Lenin. There are people in the world who have psychic abilities. It's possible that you are one of them. Unfortunately, only a psychic can help you understand this ability of yours." _**"But what if I'm not just another psychic? What kind of bitbeast would choose me as a master? I haven't touched a beyblade in years." **_"Then maybe your parents were bladers. According to our research, BIOVOLT only targeted children who were related in some way to a strong beyblader. Be they the child's parents or their long lost cousin. Perhaps you were targeted because your parents were beybladers as youths. Strong ones at that." Ray was prevented from saying more when Bruce walked in holding a box. "Sorry to interrupt Ray. But these beyblades were just brought in and they both have a bitbeast in them. They're quite active." "Where were they found Bruce?" "I'm not sure. Some stranger just found them in the ruins of an old demolished house. Apparently they heard voices in their head telling them to bring the blades here."

"This is rather unusual." "I'll say. I've never known bitbeasts to communicate with someone like that. Huh?" Bruce looked down when the box started to shake in his hands and he could hear clacking inside it. "Wha? Did they just start spinning on their own?" Bruce got his answer when the two beyblades inside the box came bursting out, landing at Lenin's feet where they slowly stopped spinning. Lenin knelt down to get a closer look at the beasts within the blades. One was a black swan and the other was a white kangaroo. Looking at the bitbeasts unlocked a hidden door in Lenin's memory. He found himself transported into the past where a beybattle was going down. There Lenin saw a younger version of himself, no older than three. Two adults were in control of the battle. One was a turquoise haired chestnut eyed woman with his face by far. Opposite her stood a gold haired grey eyed man. Both Lenin and his childhood self were looking on in awe as a black swan emerged from the woman's beyblade whilst her opponent controlled a white kangaroo.

**Lenin stepped forward a little as the battle came to an end. He looked down at his childhood self to see no scar on his neck. 'So they stole my voice eleven years ago.' The battle ended, catching Lenin's attention. The elegant black swan had defeated the kangaroo swiftly and gracefully. With the battle over, both adults approached both forms of Lenin though they only seemed to notice the child. "And that Lenin, is how you beyblade." It was the woman who spoke. Her voice was silky smooth like a gentle summer breeze retaining an English accent. She was quite attractive. The man was tall, strong, handsome and gutted. It was apparently not the first time he'd lost to the swan. "I'm sorry Lenin. I tried my best." His accent was positively Russian, strong and somewhat coarse. "You did gweat papa! I'll always be pwoud of you!" Tears formed in Lenin's eyes as he listened to the voice of his child form. It was so sweet and innocent, he longed to hear it now it would've broken and become more adult like. Soon the vision of happiness faded and fire was everywhere. Lenin looked around in a panic. He knew what was happening but the fire still scared him. **

**Smoke threatened to block out all visibility as Lenin made his way through the burning house, searching for the scene that changed his life. In the living room he found his parents clutching tightly at the child they cared for so dearly. The toxic fumes assaulted their lungs as they struggled for every breath, protecting him from harm. Lenin looked around when he heard banging. It sounded like somebody was trying to break the door down. "Lenin. Don't ever forget us. We'll always be watching over you." "Mama? Why are you cwying?" The woman tightened her hold on Lenin as her grip on life retreated. "Papa and I (Cough) have to go away now. We want to stay here and watch you grow but there are bad people who want to hurt us." "Mama! Don't go!" "It's okay. Kunimi will protect you." "So will Kazuto." The frightened child turned now to his father, whose face was smothered with ash, hiding his charming good looks. "As long as Kazuto and Kunimi are alive, we'll be with you, always. Be strong, Lenin." Everything went black as a loud bang shattered the air. 'NOOO!' **

Ray and Bruce were concerned when Lenin fell unconscious on the floor. A grey light surrounded his body as if to protect him from harm. Both beyblades were glowing in respective colours to that of the bitbeast within them. Ray and Bruce jumped out of their skin when Lenin bolted out of his unconsciousness, tears streaming down his face. "Lenin? What's wrong? Do you know these bitbeasts?" Lenin nodded slowly, swallowing the lump that lingered in his throat. 'Kunimi. Kazuto. You came back to me. After thirteen years you've returned.' Kunimi's silver beyblade flashed brightly in unison with Kazuto's dark grey fortress. Bruce watched curiously alongside Ray as Lenin gently scooped the beyblades into his hands and held them close. 'I thought the fire destroyed you. Then the house when it was demolished. Was it you? Were you telling me when people were in danger?' _("Yes and no, Lenin. You inherited your mother's psychic abilities when you were born.") _Kunimi's voice was practically identical to Lenin's mother's prompting more tears to flow. To ease Ray's worry he reverted to using sign language. _**"Kunimi and Kazuto belonged to my parents."**_

A knock at the door cut Lenin short. Ray answered it to see Rikku there. "Rikku? Is there something I can help you with?" "What are you doing to Lenin?!" "Hey now wait a minute. Lenin came to me of his own free will. You can't fault me for that. He needed help understanding something. Now please calm down. Lenin needs some space right now." "Let me see him!" "Only if you stop raising your voice at me!" Rikku stepped back a little as Ray stood at his full height. "At the moment, Rikku, Lenin is having flashbacks of his past. He needs to be left alone. I understand he's like a brother to you but there are times he needs to be by himself. Now is one of those times. I'll send Lenin to see you once he's feeling better." Ray gave Rikku no chance to respond, slamming the door in his face. Lenin was apparently lost in conversation with the bitbeasts as he wasn't paying attention to what happened at the door. Lenin looked up when Ray placed a hand on his shoulder. "You can keep them. By inheritance rights, they belong to you now, Lenin. We're not saying that you have to become a beyblader."

Lenin seemed much calmer after half an hour so Ray told him to go and get some rest before dealing with Rikku. It surprised Lenin to find Kirill outside his door. "Hey Lenin. I heard what happened in Ray's office. Are you feeling okay?" Kirill received a nod and he stepped aside to let Lenin unlock his door. "I just wanted to see how you were so I'll leave you in peace. I'm sure Rikku won't appreciate my presence if he stops by. If you ever want to talk I can be found at the mansion. I'll ask someone to give you the address. Right now I actually need to be at college. Catch you later!" Lenin smiled a little as he watched Kirill running down the hall. Once Kirill was out of sight, Lenin stepped into his room only to find a steaming plate of food on the table with a note. It was apparently from Kirill. 'How'd he get into my room without a key? Did somebody let him in? Well I'm sure Kirill's just trying to help me feel better. And still looking for excuses to see if I'm alright.' Lenin thought nothing more of the matter, placing Kunimi and Kazuto down so he could eat, washing his hands first to avoid Kunimi's scolding. She was so much like Lenin's mother it was unreal.

Hours went by after Lenin was reunited with Kunimi and Kazuto. When the moon became visible everyone retired to their rooms. Lenin hadn't gone anywhere after arriving at his room, finding comfort in the two bitbeasts left to him by his parents. Rikku had visited and was now jealous of the bitbeasts Lenin had inherited. It seemed that Rikku still wanted Lenin even with having other people to spend time with. Lenin sat on his bed looking out of the window that occupied the wall opposite the door. Ever since Kunimi explained that he'd inherited his mother's psychic abilities, Lenin feared that people would see him as a freak. Oddly, being rejected by Kirill scared Lenin the most. He was one of Lenin's only links to his past and losing him would be devastating. 'I want to know more about my past. Even though there isn't much of it. What was our bond like? Did we feel special feelings for one another? How did I behave around other people? And how long had I been abused for before meeting Kirill? These are things that have been bothering me.' The need to sleep crept in on Lenin so he closed his eyes and turned out the light.

About a month went by after Lenin was reunited with Kunimi and Kazuto. He and Rikku had settled in well at the school and he kept in touch with Martin via text messages. It was a quiet Tuesday afternoon and Lenin was calmly walking down the empty corridors by himself. He'd been remembering things lately. About his past with Kirill. Lenin had also been thinking about asking Spencer if there was a way to repair his vocal chords. He wanted to hear his own voice again. That want was slowly becoming a need. Lenin's psychic ability was suddenly triggered and he looked around. With Kunimi and Kazuto now at his side, he could pinpoint the threat more quickly. Lenin was pointed to a room some corridors away so he set off in a fast sprint to get there. Once again his ability had been tripped by a child in danger. Gou squirmed as a group of boys around Lenin's age held his arms tightly. "Let go of me!**" **"And let you tell your beloved papa about our experiment? Fat chance kid so stop squirming." When Gou resisted even more one of the boys backhanded him across the face. Another removed his belt and was about to undo his trousers when Lenin came bursting into the room.

Gou tried to break free but his squirming earned him another hit, this time with a belt. Lenin was so focused on staring Gou's captor down he didn't notice another lad locking the door behind him. "Lenin! They won't let me go! I haven't done anything!" "Shut up you little bastard! Nice of you to show up Lenin. We'd heard what happened with the blind girl so we wanted to know if it was just random chance that you arrived at the scene. Congratulations. You passed the test. Get him." Lenin backed up when three lads approached him with knives. 'Damn it! I have no weapons of my own but these limbs. I can't let them hurt Gou.' The little boy who Lenin was thinking about fought even more violently against the boy who held him as he watched the others seizing Lenin by the arms, cutting him with the knives. When Lenin tried to scream, he coughed up blood. A lot of blood. The display of violence frightened Gou even more. He didn't want to watch but another boy held his head in place, forcing him to witness the abuse Lenin was suffering. With every cut and attempted scream, Lenin brought up more and more blood.

The torture only lasted for ten minutes but for Gou and Lenin, it went on for hours, maybe even years. The boy who appeared to be in command soon grew bored of watching Lenin being sliced to ribbons, removing Gou's trousers and underwear with one harsh tug. Lenin snapped his eyes closed and turned his head to the side. "Awww what's the matter Lenin? Getting desperate for some sugar? Well no worries. You can have the brat. We've waited so long to get revenge on this bastards' father. Or I should say, on his manly mother." Lenin was deprived of his trousers and boxer shorts before one of his abusers took hold of his soft penis and began rubbing furiously at it. Just like with the cutting, Gou was forced to watch Lenin now being sexually abused. It took the boy a while to get Lenin hard as he resisted and fought back. He was soon pushed to the floor in such a way that Gou was positioned under him. Lenin knew what the boys were planning but he couldn't move away. Each time Lenin tried to stand he was kicked in the ribs. Gou's heart raced, fearing what was coming next. "L-L-Lenin? Don't l-l-l-let them beat you." In response, Lenin met Gou's eyes, apologising for what he was about to do by force.

Gou didn't understand the look Lenin was giving him but the growing tears in Lenin's eyes told him that something very bad was going to happen. "Come on Lenin. Don't make us force you to fuck him. We want our revenge with your help." 'You'll have to make me you sick bastards. There's no way in hell I'm gonna hurt this boy willingly.' As if hearing Lenin's thoughts, the ring leader raised his foot. Gou gripped Lenin's hand that grasped hold of his shirt, their cheeks touching. "Time for some fun fellas. In ya go Lenin." Gou screamed at the top of his lungs when Lenin was kicked, thus forcing his hardened manhood to enter Gou's anal cavern. Once again Lenin coughed up a large globule of blood as the forced entry caused him considerable pain. Luckily the expulsion went over Gou's shaking shoulder. Gou watched as Lenin wrote something in the newly made pool of blood to try and get his message through. Every breath Lenin took was raspy as his vision was slowly fading. Since he was reluctant to co-operate with the crime, Lenin's body was moved against his will until it began to hurt.

The gang watched with sickening lust as Lenin finally did what they requested from him though he did not use the full force of his strength. Both he and Gou silently prayed for somebody, anybody to come to their rescue. The message written in Lenin's blood was erased when he brought up more. Outside of the room, Hiro and Sothe were desperately searching for Gou. Kai had been locked in his office to stop him doing something he'd regret. Sothe's acute hearing soon picked up Gou's screams. "I hear him. He's in pain. A lot of it. This way." Hiro picked up his pace to keep up with Sothe as they ran to find him. Hiro prayed that nothing seriously wrong was happening to his son. 'Hang on Gou. Dad's on his way. If Lenin found you, I hope he's okay too.' When Sothe busted the door down he and Hiro had the fright of their lives. Sothe immediately pulled out his stun rod but against a group so big it would be a useless tool. Hiro's eyes were glued to the form of Gou who was still under Lenin's blooded body. "Gou!" "Dad!" "What have you bastards done to my son?!" "We call it revenge. You like it?" Sothe had no time to react as Hiro grabbed the lead boy around the throat and squeezed.

As luck would have it, Bryan and Max arrived with Spencer and they too were disgusted with what they saw. Most of all however, they were sorely disappointed with Lenin upon seeing it was him harming Gou. Max took Gou away from Lenin carefully and carried him to the medical wing despite Gou's fierce protest about leaving Lenin behind. With Gou no longer under him, Lenin allowed his eyes to close as he crashed to the floor. Even though it looked like Lenin was in the wrong, Spencer took him to the medical bay for treatment. Bryan, Sothe and Hiro apprehended the gang and contacted the police since the attack was a serious offense. Gou had only sustained a few bruises but Lenin needed a lot of stitches to seal the vicious cuts he'd been given. With Gou found, Kai was freed from his office to see him. "Gou! What happened?!" "Papa! It wasn't Lenin's fault. He didn't want to hurt me." "Start from the beginning. What happened?" "Those boys grabbed me for no reason. I didn't do anything to them. Then Lenin arrived. They hurt him and made me watch. It was horrible papa."

Kai comforted Gou as the boy broke down into tears, rubbing his back soothingly. They stayed like that for about half an hour until Lenin was wheeled out of the operating room, his torso covered in bandages. "Lenin!" "Gou! You have to stay in bed." Gou cowered in fear when Hiro walked into the room, a severely pissed off look on his face. Spencer interfered when Hiro made an attempt to harm Lenin more than he already was. Kai covered Gou's ears to protect him from the verbal onslaught that was about to ensue. "You bastard! What did Gou ever do to deserve this?!" "Hiro, you're not helping matters. I noticed that before Max took Gou away from Lenin, there was pain in his eyes. Lenin would never seek to harm a child. From what I've heard about him, he's got a strange bond with children. Always wanting to protect them." Hiro calmed down enough to wrap his arms around Gou's shaking body. All was silent until the moment Rikku came bursting into the room. "What the hell is going on?! What have you done to him?!" "Rikku, calm down. We've done nothing to harm Lenin. He got hurt trying to save Gou from a gang attack. Bryan's looking at the camera footage now to find out what really happened."

Rikku growled angrily, taking hold of Lenin's cold left hand. Even now the trauma had ended; Lenin was still taking raspy breaths. Rikku fought the tears that grew in his eyes at seeing Lenin in such a condition. Rikku was so busy trying to control his emotions that he didn't notice Lenin's eyes were open a fraction. Rikku flinched when Lenin prodded his forehead with two fingers, smiling slightly. "Lenin! Are you okay? What happened? These guys won't tell me anything." Rikku grew even more territorial of Lenin when several police officers walked in. Max had to drag Rikku out of the room with Spencer's help so Lenin could be questioned. None of the officers knew where to put themselves when they heard rather disturbing words spouting from Rikku's mouth. With Rikku gone, Max and Spencer sighed in relief. "Man that kid can fight. Martin wasn't kidding that being angry boosted Rikku's physical capabilities. My shoulders are killing me." "Well now he's gone we can get this over with. Since Lenin's too weak to write, I'll translate for him, officers."

Kai and Hiro stayed right by Gou's side as he was questioned. It took Hiro a lot of self control not to punch the officer asking Gou all the questions when he made the boy cry. Lenin luckily got a female officer. She waited until Gou had been questioned to start her interrogation. Lenin had watched as Gou was shown diagrams of the male human body and asked some very sensitive questions. Even he felt like thrashing the insensitive officer so badly, he'd be in hospital for months to recover. "Okay now with that over the poor dear can rest and you start answering my questions. Mr. Petrov. Might I ask why you need to translate for this young man?" "He's a mute, officer. Lenin lost his voice at a young age due to abuse." "I see. Alright then let's make a start. Lenin, I need you to tell me what you were doing before the attack happened." Spencer could tell that Lenin didn't like the officer by the way his hands moved. "Lenin says; if you want me to answer your questions, don't talk to me like I'm a five year old. Before the attack I was walking down a corridor thinking about things that had been coming back to me recently." "Very well. Did you hurt the boy intentionally?"

This time Lenin only had to shake his head, a menacing look in his eyes. In return for Lenin watching him being questioned, Gou examined the officer bludgeoning Lenin; no care in her voice what so ever. "Alright Lenin, last few questions. How and why did the boys attack you." Spencer watched the signs Lenin made before translating the answer. "I don't know why they assaulted me but they used physical and sexual violence. First they cut me with knives then I was forced to break a rule. That's where the sexual abuse started." The officer nodded, taking down notes and Spencer watched her. "Okay. Can you tell me how they harmed you in that way?" Lenin felt like hitting the woman when she glared at him but he held his temper back. Even Kai could tell that Lenin was getting very uncomfortable with the officer. This time, Lenin answered slowly as he was growing weary. "Before I answer, I request that Gou's ears are to be covered. I don't want to wound him any more than he already is." As requested, Kai shielded Gou's innocent ears but not before the boy looked over at Lenin worriedly.

Lenin released a soft sigh and he was about to answer when his chest constricted. Spencer quickly grabbed the nearest bucket and set it down on Lenin's lap. The officer didn't seem too pleased when Lenin coughed up god knows what into the bucket. Spencer rubbed soothing circles on Lenin's back to help ease the coughing fit. "Easy Lenin. Officer, I can tell you how those young men assaulted Lenin. He's in no condition to answer right now." "Go on." "First of all, to have Lenin commit the rape, they would have needed his penis to be stiff so one of them undoubtedly took charge of that. I have no doubt that Lenin would've fought back. With the position we found the boys in, I'm guessing Gou was pushed to the floor first then Lenin shortly after. Given how much blood was on the floor, Lenin probably tried screaming in pain but with his vocal chords cut, blood came out instead of sound. The boys probably waited for a few minutes to see if Lenin would comply but when he refused, one of the gang members forced him into Gou by kicking him judging by the mark we found on his backside. Even then Lenin must've refused but when the pain became too much he had to obey."

With the more gruelling details out of the way, Kai uncovered Gou's ears upon receiving Spencer's approval. "Also, when we discovered the scene, Lenin had a hold of Gou's shirt. A protective hold." "Did the boy see this as a threat?" "No. In fact, Gou was gripping Lenin's hand with both of his. Using it as a means to release his pain. That might've been Lenin's intention for the gesture. We can't really be sure of that. Now I must ask you to leave. Your presence is causing Lenin great stress." "I have one last question, Mr. Petrov. One that only Lenin can answer so I suggest he pulls his head out of that bucket." Lenin did just that, his eyes glazed and face pale. The cold stare the officer was receiving didn't seem to bother her. "Listen closely to this question and think carefully about how you answer. How did you feel once your manhood was inside the violated child?" Spencer watched closely to see what Lenin would do to answer. The question had obviously angered him as his lips were curled into a snarl. Lenin knew the woman was testing him, being very careful about how he moved his hands.

The woman received the shock of her life when Rikku and Kirill came barging in, Bryan right behind them. Judging by how red Bryan's face was he'd tried to stop the young men in their tracks. "Sorry Spence. I tried to stop 'em." "It's alright Bryan. The officer just finished her job." Said woman was reluctant to move so Spencer leaned right into her personal space. "That question was not appropriate for the situation. How would you feel if somebody forced you to sexually harm an innocent child? You'd feel degraded, shamed and very guilty that you were powerless to stop it happening. Now I suggest you take your fake little report and get out of here. I watched you writing those damn lies so we'll file our own report to the police." "You have no rights to call me a liar." To prove his point, Spencer snatched the clipboard from the interrogator and showed her report to Lenin. "Did you say any of these things Lenin?" Lenin looked carefully at the report to see his words had been twisted into lies. Despite his current condition, Lenin had plenty of speed. He attempted to grab the woman by the throat but Rikku and Kirill were able to restrain him. "Now get out of here you two faced bitch."

The officer didn't hesitate, leaving the room with haste. With her gone, Lenin relaxed a little. It was a sorry sight to see when he coughed up more unknown substances into the bucket. Rikku was so worried about Lenin he didn't care that Kirill was on the other side of the bed. Spencer pitied Lenin the most, rubbing his quivering back gently. "Don't you worry Lenin. I'll see that this false report doesn't reach the constables office. She might care about Gou as the victim, but that woman saw you as a criminal and not another victim. So what'd you see Bryan?" "Lenin's innocent. Those jerks harassed him quite violently. He didn't lay a single finger on Gou apart from when they took things further. If anything he was trying to protect Gou and comfort him through the pain." "Just as Lenin said." "He also apologised to Gou by writing a message in his own blood that stained the floor. Lenin must feel really horrible." "Right now I need to stop him bringing up what's left of his blood." "Internal bleeding?" "None. He wasn't stabbed. Only slashed. Hang on. One cut went over the gunshot wound."

Once Lenin had finished bringing up blood, Spencer took him back into theatre to find the cause of the problem. Now that Lenin was out of sight, Rikku noticed Kirill. To avoid a fight, Kirill moved over to Gou's bed to see if he was okay. "How are you feeling Gou?" "How the hell do you think he's feeling Kirill?!" "Back off Granger! Are you a little annoyed that I went to Lenin first? I received a message saying he wanted to speak with me. In fact, Lenin was more than likely on his way to our meeting point when all this crap happened! Yes I'm worried about Gou but I was more concerned about Lenin because he didn't turn up at the place I was going to meet him! So get the fuck off my back!" "How dare you call me by that name?!" Bryan pushed Kirill and Hiro apart before they resorted to physical violence. Gou was scared enough. The news also apparently made Rikku angry as he pounced on Kirill growling angrily. Bryan now had to calm three angry men. Hiro was distracted when Kai winced in pain, holding his baby bump protectively. With Hiro out of the picture, Bryan was left with the younger adults as they glared at each other.

Before another fight could start, Kirill moved to hold Gou in his arms. The silence was shattered when a little girl ran to Gou's bed and attempted to jump up beside him, screaming his name. "Gou!" "Rika! I'm okay." "Did those big bullies hurt you?" Nina walked up behind the new child and hauled her up onto the bed so she could comfort Gou. Rika was identical to Hiro in every way. She even had his tanned skin. "It's okay sis." "But they bullied you. That's not fair!" "Rika, calm down honey. You're not helping the situation any. Gou's gonna be fine now. You should be more concerned about your papa." "Papa? What's wrong?" "I'll be fine, Rika. I think the baby wants something to eat that's all." Nina gave Hiro a nod to say she'd keep things under control so he could help Kai to the staff kitchen. Not long after Kai and Hiro left, Spencer returned with Lenin. There was little good showing on Spencer's face. He quietly touched Lenin's forehead only to remove his hand immediately. 'What the hell is wrong with this kid? What haven't I checked? I'm missing something vital.'

That's when Spencer realised what he'd told the officer. Lenin had made attempts to scream in pain but in doing so, he'd probably aggravated his broken vocal chords. Spencer left everyone confused when he took Lenin back into the operating room. "Okay. I think he's onto something. So are you boys going to behave so I can deliver this damn tape? Or must I rip you to pieces first?" "Go on Bryan. I can handle them. Kirill knows not to make me angry." "Alright Nina. Will Raziel be arriving?" "I don't think so. Uncle Tala's busy grilling him about something." "Typical Tala. Well I'll be back soon. If Kai gets back before I return, let him know where I am." "Will do." With nothing else to say, Bryan set off on his way to the police station. Out of curiosity, Nina looked at the report written by the woman who questioned Lenin. "Is all this true, Kirill?" "Huh? What do you mean?" "The officer who asked Lenin his side of the story wrote down that he admitted to willingly assaulting Gou." "That's not true!" Nina and Kirill snapped around to see Gou was getting angry. "Gou?" "Lenin didn't hurt me willingly. Those jerks made him do it." "Made him do what Gou?"

Gou became nervous about answering so to save him the trouble, Rikku explained what he knew. "From what I've heard, ma'am, Lenin was forced into sexually harming Gou. I know he wouldn't do it willingly. Lenin's not that kinda guy. He protects kids. Not rape them." "So she wanted to have Lenin arrested for something he didn't want to do. I have no patience for people like that." "Neither does Lenin apparently. I might be his brother but even I can't figure him out sometimes. If it wasn't for us, that officer would have a broken neck." "And you are?" "Rikku. You'd have to ask our step father for the family name. I don't really know it off the top of my head." "That's fine. And please, call me Nina. There's no need for formalities here unless you're addressing certain teachers. You'll be surprised to know most of them were beybladers." "They were?" "Yup. Sadly I don't want anything to do with beyblading after what it did to Kai." "You…kinda look like him." "I'm his little sister. And unfortunately for you pretty boy, I'm not single either."

Somehow, Rikku felt his hopes were cut in half. Like most boys his age and older, Rikku was attracted to Nina. His mood darkened further upon Raziel's arrival. Nina welcomed him warmly, kissing his rosy red cheek. 'Jerk. Some people have all the luck.' "Cheer up Rikku. There's plenty o' mermaids in the sea. I'm pretty sure that there is a girl in this school who is too frightened to tell you how she feels." "Say's the guy they're all attracted to." "And I'm not interested. If it makes you any more uncomfortable, I don't find women attractive. I swing the other way." Rikku's eyes burned with a more intense anger as Kirill wore a smile with his admittance to being gay. "You'll keep your hands off of my brother you sicko!" "And what if he touches me first? I'm likely to respond. Face it punk. I knew Lenin first and we had deep feelings for each other. Back then we were too young to realise that we loved each other as more than just brothers. And for your information, I will not rest until Lenin remembers that bond." "How can you be sure he wants to? For all you know Lenin might not feel about you that way if he remembers." "You're jealous. You have been since you laid eyes on me."

Nina immediately saw the warning signs, kicking Kirill harshly in the leg both to punish him and to warn Rikku that he'd get the same treatment if he didn't cool off. "Damn it Nina!" "Behave." "I'm not a child!" "You're behaving like one!" This time Raziel had to step in to stop a fight, between Kirill and Nina. "Hey now calm down. Fighting proves nothing but hatred." "In some cases, Raziel, fighting can be a sign of affection." Raziel snapped around to see Tala and Max not far away and they were both smiling. "You know, I really hate it when you guys stand so close together. And touching each others' backside no less!" "Aww c'mon son. You love us really." "You do realise that some people don't agree with two men having children of their own." "Yes Raziel, we know. But it doesn't matter what they say. You're our son and nothing can change that. Nothing ever will. Is Kai alright?" "Hungry baby." "Again. I swear he's carrying more than one this time." "Tala, you shouldn't curse Kai like that." "Seriously Max. You've seen how much he's been eating. Way more than when he was carrying Gou and Rika."

* * *

So there you have it. I make no promises about the story being violence free but I shall try to keep it mild at best.

Well R&R and I'll see you next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

Baby Boom! More tots arrive in the world in this chapter! And yes, they all survive so don't worry.

Enough of my yapping, on with the show!

_"Bitbeast speak"_

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Chapter 4

Pain

Max could only sigh just moments before Kai and Hiro came back. Looking at Kai, Max couldn't see how Tala's theory was right. But he had to admit, Kai was eating more than he did the last two times he was pregnant. Max shrugged the matter to one side and went to see if Spencer needed any help with Lenin. "Hey Spence. You need a hand?" "Max? I'm not sure. Lenin's been coughing up a lot of blood and I'm struggling to find out why. He's not bleeding on the inside. We already made sure of that." Max took note of where Spencer's attention was centred, wondering why. "But why are you focusing there Spence?" "Because I believe that his torn vocal chords have been damaged more when Lenin attempted to cry out during the attack." "I see. Can we fix them?" "Not too sure. I checked Lenin's file and it said that his chords were cut crudely when he was six years old. After twelve years I can't be certain that they're fixable. It would depend if Lenin wants us to try." "We'll ask him when he wakes up. Though we need to hurry. Rikku and Kirill are on the edge of killing each other."

The said young men were now at opposite ends of the room by Kai's orders. Kirill stood near Gou's bed whilst Rikku waited at Lenin's side of the room. They were both getting impatient with waiting. Rikku became distracted by his phone when it started to ring, taking the call outside. Kai guessed it was Martin checking up on the boys. He smiled a little, stroking Gou's cheek. The boy had fallen asleep with his little sister not long after Kai had returned. Kai's eyes narrowed when a sharp pain ripped through his body and he struggled to contain a cry of pain. "Oh dear oh dear. Spencer! I think we have a problem!" "I'm busy right now Hiro!" Kai doubled over in agony and Hiro barely caught him in time. "We really have a problem!" Since Spencer was trying to concentrate on Lenin, Max went to see what was wrong. "Oh crap. Kirill, get your running shoes on and find Semyon. Now!" "Yessir."

Kirill's voice lacked motivation but he ran like the wind. Nina took Kai's place at Gou's side as Max and Hiro dragged him into the other operating room. Rikku came back and was confused immediately. "What's going on Nina? Where'd Kai go?" "He's just gone into labour, Rikku." "Labour?" "You do know he's pregnant don't you?" "Yeah. But he didn't look that far." "Well if Kai is giving birth early, it's not really a surprise. Gou came along weeks before he was due. Kai almost died along with him. Rika was only a few days early so there was nothing to worry about." "As much as I disagree with gay couples having biological children, I hope he's okay." "Why do you oppose the idea of two men having their own kids together Rikku?" "It's not natural. If God wanted things that way, there'd be no women." "Everything BIOVOLT did was unnatural. You'll just have to face that. In fact, I do believe that Lenin had an artificial womb implanted into his body before you two met. My memory of Lenin is rather hazy." "So it's true? Lenin knew Kirill first?" "Yes, Rikku. You have no idea what Kirill went through when Lenin was stolen from us. It destroyed him completely."

Rikku saw no lies in Nina's beautiful amethyst orbs. Raziel didn't like the way Rikku kept staring at Nina, wrapping his arms around her slender waist. "Sorry chum but this butterfly is already spoken for." "Raziel, play nicely. I can't help being so sexy." "Well he can go find his own sexy girl. You're mine." Nina sighed, stroking Raziel's cheek tenderly. Tala made Raziel blush by whistling at him when he went to kiss Nina. Rikku found Tala rather odd. He found glee in making his son all flustered. Though Rikku felt that Tala meant no harm by his playful teasing. Rikku was so into his thoughts that he failed to notice Semyon dashing into the second operating room. Kirill appeared to be rather tired, dropping down into the chair Kai sat on previously. Serenity wasn't too far behind, taking Nina into her arms. A few wrinkles were starting to show on Serenity's face but she was still a radiantly beautiful woman. Aio and Ico had also tagged along, worried about their nephew and big brother. The room was so quiet you could probably hear a pin drop from miles away.

Hours seemed to slip by as everyone waited for news on either Kai or Lenin. At around 4pm, Lenin came back out of surgery. Rikku wasted no time grabbing the closest hand he could reach. Kirill kept his distance, not wanting to add more fuel to the fire between him and Rikku. Spencer informed Rikku that Lenin would hopefully be okay if he got a lot of rest. Though Lenin had lost a lot of blood and his life was hanging in the balance. At hearing that Lenin's life was in danger, Kirill stepped forward. "What's his blood type, Spencer?" "Kirill you know I c…" "Do you want Lenin to die?" "No I don't. He's an AB+ blood type." "Perfect." Spencer blinked in confusion as Kirill pulled up the sleeve of his jacket. "Kirill?" "Either we do this now, or Lenin dies. I'm not losing him again." "But Kirill are you even…" "Yes I'm an AB+ too. Now stop wasting precious time and take what he needs." Spencer knew not to cross Kirill three times so he fetched the equipment that was needed for blood transfusions. Rikku stared long and hard at Kirill as he got ready to part with some of his blood. "Why are you doing this?" "I already told you. I'm not gonna lose Lenin a second time."

"He barely even remembers who you are." "So? Why should that stop me from saving his life? I don't see you offering to help your brother." "Our blood types are different." "Well there you go and shut your fucking mouth. I'm not taking any shit from you, Rikku. I'm doing this for Lenin. Hell I'm doing it for you as well! So that you don't have to suffer the pain I felt for eleven damn years! I counted every single one as they went by, torturing me. If Lenin died now I'd never be able to go on. I'm so close to breaking the chains that bind me." "What chains? You chose to block out your family. They wanted to help you ease the pain. Lyov told me everything he knows about you." "I shut them out because I was scared. Kai and I have one thing in common. The people we get close to get hurt. I was afraid that letting my family closer would see them hurt." "But you hurt them anyway! Pushing them back left a gaping wound in their hearts!" "And I regret every damn day I never said that I was grateful for their support! Now get the hell off of my back! You know nothing of having a family!"

Those last words pushed Rikku completely over the edge. He was now past thanking Kirill for doing the right thing, launching into a full on assault. Lenin chose the moment that Rikku's fist met Kirill's cheek to wake up. All the shouting had disturbed his anaesthetic slumber and he was now very groggy. Lenin couldn't see very clearly but he was able to identify that there was a fight next to the bed. Lenin reached out and grabbed the nearest arm he could find. The fight stopped almost instantly. Kirill had already kicked Rikku in the stomach by the time Lenin grabbed his tensed up arm. "Lenin? Are you okay?" Despite not knowing Lenin all that well, Kirill managed to identify that he was very angry with him and Rikku. "He started it Lenin." "You selfish little…" Lenin corrected Kirill by harshly yanking on his arm. Lenin's correction came at the right moment as Spencer returned. He sighed, knowing Kirill and Rikku had come to blows with one another. "Can't you boys behave for two minutes?" "Well perhaps Rikku should learn to keep his mouth shut about matters that don't concern him." "So should you! I do have a family!" "That's enough Rikku! Before you cause Lenin more stress."

Rikku fell very quiet as Kirill was tucked up in the bed next to Lenin's so Spencer could take his donation. He warned Kirill about feeling light headed but his warning was shrugged off. Kirill just wanted to get it over with. As a safety measure, Rikku had been tied to a chair so he couldn't do anything to cause trouble again. His hatred for Kirill had now reached a new level. A very dangerous one at that. "Kirill, I can't take everything that Lenin needs from you. It would be too dangerous. For now I'll only take half to allow you time to recover. Then I'll take the rest. Is that okay?" "Sure. So long as it helps Lenin to get better. Time doesn't really matter." "Alright. Serenity, could you go and get something high in sugar from the kitchen? Kirill is going to need it." "I'll be right back. I'm proud of you Kirill. For what you're doing." "Mom, please. I know. And I'm sorry. Hurting you was the last thing on my mind." "You're already forgiven Kirill." It made Kirill happy to hear that Serenity did not hate him for pushing her away. Instead, she understood from the very beginning.

A few more hours ticked by and Kirill was allowed to rest. Lenin now had a drip in his arm to feed Kirill's blood into his veins. It was a relief that he'd stopped coughing up blood. Kai was brought out of operating room 2 at around 6pm. Max, Hiro and Semyon looked tired. Spencer helped Max to move Kai into a clean bed beside Gou so that Hiro could watch them both without having to move far. Kirill had fallen asleep roughly half an hour prior to Kai's return. He woke up slowly to the gurgling of babies. "Unh. What time is it?" "Time for you to meet the new family members." "Members?" Serenity helped Kirill to sit up in bed and his head spun. "Maybe later, mom. I'm not feeling too sturdy." "Okay hun. You just rest up." Kirill could only nod, closing his tired eyes. Nobody in the room could believe their eyes. Next to Kai's bed sat four plastic cribs, each one containing a baby. "Come on Max. Admit it. I was right." Tala had a big grin on his face as he whispered in Max's ear. "Alright you win. How much do I owe you?" "Max my sweet you should already know the price for losing a bet. You'll be doing all the chores for a week. And treating me to breakfast in bed."

Max grimaced at his price for losing. Three of the newborn infants looked like Kai and only one had Hiro's features. "Well Hiro. You now have three boys and three girls. Look at the little Kai juniors. They're so cute." "Shut up." "Gou's more you than Kai. So I think it's only fair that three of them look like their papa. I guess you'll wait until Kai wakes up to name the dastardly quartet." "Yeah. Early again too. Luckily by only three days. Well Kai. Happy Valentine's Day." Hiro tenderly stroked Kai's flushed cheek with the back of his fingers. Sadly one of the little boys decided he wanted to wake up so giving Kai some affection would have to wait. "Hey squirt. I wouldn't wake papa if I were you. He gets very mad when he's sleepy." In response, Hiro received a slight smack to the chops. "Hey. Watch that attitude young man or I'll smack those chubby mittens of yours." "Just like his papa. So do you think Kai will flip or melt?" "Both. That way you can't punish me further." "Damn you." "Already done lover. I'll go check on Emmeline. She'll surely be worried."

Kai started to come around half an hour later. In his half awake state, Kai was confused to find four cribs by his bed. Kai's vision cleared up and he discovered that the extra three cribs weren't an illusion. "Hiro? What's going on?" "You had quadruplets, Kai. Gave us all a fright you did." "Stop toying with me Hiro." "I'm telling you the truth. Look." Kai did as he was told to find that Hiro really wasn't lying. Seeing that three of the babies looked just like him, tears started to build in Kai's eyes. In fact, his clones were the only ones Kai could see because Hiro was holding the one that looked like him. "Happy Valentine's Day Kai." "I could've sworn I was only carrying one." "It's alright. I think we'd better call it quits though. Six kids are enough for me. And the scores are even. Three girls, three boys. What will we call them?" "Hmmm. Ladies first I suppose. Sable." Kai pointed up at the little girl in Hiro's arms, stroking her chubby little cheek with care. "Kayla." The little female Kai gave a gurgle and slightly waved her arms. "Mihaeru. Kabuto." Both little boys reacted in turn when Kai tapped their tiny noses. Kabuto was a bit paler than Mihaeru and he seemed heavier.

Kai soon turned his attention to Gou and Rika. Both of them were still sleeping peacefully. Max went to give the good news to everyone else. The students would all be told in the morning. But the bigger boys wouldn't be informed for safety reasons. Lenin was allowed a peek at the youngsters and to put his reaction bluntly, he melted. The cool and confident Lenin grew weak at the mere sight of a baby. He was sure that the bullies would laugh at such a predicament. Lenin had given Spencer permission to try and fix his vocal chords but not until he'd recovered from the blood transfusion. Lenin felt somewhat guilty seeing Kirill lying in a bed next to him. With Kirill being in bed for while, Lenin wouldn't be able to taste his amazing cooking. 'If I get out of bed before he does, I'll treat him. He's not the only one who can cook up a storm. But I'll need permission to use the staff kitchen. I'm sure Ray won't mind. If anything I think he'll want to help. But for now I need to rest and get my strength back.' With a new determination to get better, Lenin closed his eyes and went to sleep.

A few days went by after the birth of four more Hiwatari's. The others absolutely adored them, spoiling the quadruplets almost immediately. Most of the female students stopped by to give Kai flowers and a kiss on the cheek. He'd never felt so loved by the pupils. Even Lenin and Kirill were showered in bouquets of flowers. Kirill didn't mind the flowers; it was the kisses he hated. Especially when some girls kissed him on the lips. As hoped, Lenin was out of his bed first. Kirill appeared to be a rather slow healer. Lenin was sure that he just needed a good meal to sleep off. Rikku was happy to see Lenin up and about but unhappy to find him about to treat Kirill. To calm Rikku down, Lenin promised to make him something too. As Lenin prepared all the ingredients, more memories began to surface. Forgotten glimmers of his past revealed themselves. Ray studied Lenin closely as he seemed lost in his own world but still knew what he was doing. 'He's making progress. Kirill will be happy. But Lenin's memories are coming back so quickly it's unnatural. Perhaps Kunimi and Kazuto are helping by searching Lenin's memory tree. I do wonder if Lenin has any family out there. With recordings of his childhood.'

Within only two hours, Lenin had cooked up two steaming hot plates. The sight made Ray's mouth water. _**"I'll make you guys something shortly. It's the least I can do. You've done so much for me and Rikku." **_"You needn't worry about us Lenin. That pheasant smells fabulous. Where'd you learn to cook?" _**"My step aunt taught me everything I know. Years ago I was very keen on learning how to cook. So that maybe one day I could express my thanks to our step father. For looking after us." **_"You're very good Lenin. I have no worries of you burning the school down. I taught Kirill everything he knows. Surprisingly he asked me to teach him. Because he felt very guilty about pushing us away all the time. He's changing now. All thanks to you. We mayeven get the old Kirill back soon. I've heard he's giving up smoking slowly." _**"I didn't know Kirill smoked." **_"Probably for good reasons. Well let's get this food out. You deal with Rikku." Lenin agreed, leaving a note for Kirill on his tray before Ray took it out to him. 'Bon appetite Kirill. Enjoy.' With a smile on his face, Lenin journeyed to Rikku's room.

Kirill seemed rather surprised when Ray arrived with a tray in his hands. He was suspicious as Ray never said a word. He only smiled and walked away to find Mariah. "Thanks. I guess. What's this? From Lenin?" Kirill chuckled a little at what Lenin had written. 'Alright fair play. How'd he know I love pheasant?' Kirill pushed his thoughts aside, not letting a moment go to waste. Gou had been allowed home two days after being attacked but he still visited to see if Lenin and Kirill were okay. Kai had also been released from Spencer's care. "Hey Kirill." "Gou. Hey. You sure have a way with timing. Come sit." "That looks great. Who made it?" "Lenin did. He wanted to thank me for saving his hide and for the meals I've made him." "He sure is full of surprises." "Yeah. Here, try some. You'll like it I promise." Gou nervously did as he was told and found that Kirill was right. "I'll let Lenin know he has another customer when he gets back. How's your dad?" "Getting better. He can walk now. But we never get much sleep. Sable keeps us up most of the time." "She'll settle down soon Gou. Where's Rin? She's normally following you like a second shadow." "Rin's not very well." "Maybe some special cooking will cheer her up."

"You think?" "It's possible." "Should I ask Lenin?" Kirill shrugged his shoulders, returning all of his attention to the slowly cooling meal. Well, what was left of it. He allowed Gou a couple more bites since the boy liked it so much. Once the plate was empty, Kirill looked much better. Sadly it was Ray who came to take Kirill's plate away. He was informed that Lenin had another customer to feed and given compliments for the chef. Kirill fell soundly asleep after eating, feeling quite sleepy. Lenin visited when Kirill was sleeping, taking in the peaceful look on his face. 'I remember more now. We should talk soon. So that you can confirm what I'm remembering. These memories are coming back rather fast. At night I can feel Kunimi searching the darkness of my mind. She's trying to help so I don't really mind. As long as she doesn't pull out memories of mama and papa I'll be perfectly fine. I'm happy that Kirill enjoyed the meal I made him. I'm due for that operation any day now. We'll have to be quick. But Spencer says there's no guarantee it'll be a success.'

Another day went by and so Kirill was allowed to go home. That same day, Spencer called Lenin in for his operation. The decision to go ahead had been made at the last minute so Lenin arrived in only a pair of trousers. "Sorry Lenin. But the longer we wait, the less chance I have of getting your voice back. You understand don't you?" _**"Yes I understand. What are the chances? Of me getting my voice back?" **_"Given how long it's been since they cut your chords, I'd say no more than 30% I'm afraid. Have you told Kirill?" _**"No time. We should hurry if the chance of failure is increasing." **_Spencer had no quarrel, taking Lenin into the operating room. Lenin could see Spencer was nervous as his hands were shaking but not too badly. He relaxed a little once Lenin was under the anaesthetic. Spencer hoped he wasn't too late as the scalpel sliced through Lenin's skin. 'I can't let Lenin down. He's counting on me to get his voice back. I can't fail.' Spencer calmed himself upon laying his eyes on Lenin's broken chords and the sight worried him more. Elsewhere, Rikku was worrying about Lenin. Today Martin was supposed to be coming to visit them and Lenin was nowhere in sight.

Rikku didn't want to believe that Lenin had forgotten about the meeting and gone off to flirt with one of the girls but it soon became a possibility. By the time Martin arrived, Rikku had lost all hope of Lenin turning up. "It's okay Rikku. I just heard from Kai that Lenin's having an operation done on his vocal chords. It was decided at the last minute so Lenin didn't have time to tell you he couldn't make it." "Someone should've told me sooner. I've been worried sick. Ever since that gang attacked Lenin he's been acting weird." "What gang?" "Didn't they tell you?" "I was informed of an accident that left Lenin severely wounded." "They lied to you. He was attacked. Lenin got hurt trying to protect the Headmasters' son from harm. And on top of that, Lenin was forced to rape the boy. He…he lost a lot of blood." "But Lenin's okay now." "And I couldn't do anything to help him." "Don't beat yourself up about it Rikku. I'm sure Lenin isn't angry with you for being unable to help." "But my inability allowed that Kirill to step in. He wants Lenin for himself. It's not fair."

Unfortunately for Rikku, Martin knew it was the other way around. Kirill would be willing to share Lenin's company but Rikku wanted to have Lenin all to himself. He always had. Ever since they were little. Whenever Lenin tried making friends, Rikku would get in the way. 'That's probably why Lenin gave up. Because Rikku grew jealous far too easily. But now Rikku has a fighter on his hands and he doesn't like it. Why can't he just let Lenin live his life the way he wants to? Rikku's the one being unfair. Even now he has friends of his own Rikku still wants to keep Lenin as his own. Rikku knows that no matter how many people Lenin could be friends with, he'd never abandon him. But being smothered is pushing Lenin further away. Rikku needs to see that he's hurting Lenin by keeping other people away from him.' "Rikku, we need to talk." "About what?" "Lenin. You've got to give him some space." "But I am giving him space. I've made friends." "But you still want Lenin for yourself. I know you too well Rikku and I understand that losing Lenin to somebody else scares you. Rikku, if you keep this up Lenin will turn his back on you. He has the right to make friends too."

"Is that why you sent us here?" "Partially. I wanted you both to meet new people in the right environment. The young folk here are just like you, Rikku. They've been hurt by adults in the past. Kai tells me that you feel threatened by Kirill wanting to rekindle his bond with Lenin. Kirill's turning his life around because he's with Lenin. Kai and the others have been concerned for a while about your behaviour around Lenin. If you don't see him after an hour of being apart you go crazy. Lenin's becoming uncomfortable with being clung to. It has to stop, Rikku. As of today, you are not to go near Lenin unless he's in the medical wing or you have homework you need help with." Martin apparently expected Rikku's temper to get out of hand, calling for Bryan to restrain him. "I'm sorry Rikku but it's for the best. I've asked the staff to take good care of you. They're here to help you Rikku. Thank you Bryan." "No problem. Calm down kid." "Let go of me! You can't do this to me!" "I'm afraid I already have Rikku. I'll be at home with my girlfriend if you need me." "Girlfriend?!"

Martin cringed as Rikku fell to the floor unconscious. Bryan had felt Rikku becoming more unstable so knocking him out was the safest way to tackle the problem. "Martin, are you sure this is really the right thing to do? Rikku seems dependant on Lenin." "And it needs to stop, Bryan. I want them both to be happy but Lenin never will find joy so long as Rikku is there to hold him down. I will admit, this wasn't my decision." "What?" "Lenin asked me to do this for him. Rikku has to learn to look after himself now." "I see now. Lenin has grown tired of playing brother." "He just wants some space, Bryan. Can you blame him with the way Rikku fights with Kirill? Lenin's only link to his past is with Kirill and he can't afford to lose it." "Yeah I guess I see it Lenin's way now. But still. It's gonna be hard to keep this kid under control. We might have to use force." "I give you my full permission to do what's necessary Bryan. I have to go home soon but I'd very much like to see Lenin. Will he be out soon?" "Couldn't say. He'll be out for a while so let's go take a look. I'm sure Spencer won't mind you being in the room so long as you don't disturb him."

By the time Bryan and Martin reached the medical wing, Spencer had finished the operation and Lenin was now ready to be seen. Now all they could do was wait to see if Lenin recovered his voice within the next month. If not, Spencer could do nothing else to help Lenin. Martin sat by the bed, quietly stroking Lenin's bare arm. "Lenin. I don't know how but. I found the courage to do what you asked of me. Rikku didn't take it well. I never expected him to. You should be free now. I'm sure it wasn't easy for you to make that decision. We understand that you don't want to hurt Rikku. You're not abandoning him, Lenin. You just want him to find his feet now you're almost grown ups. Come see me once you're better. I'm moving on too. I finally found someone. She's very nice. Neera can't wait to meet you both. I'd like it if we could all go out to dinner together one day. I'll leave you in peace now, Lenin. Get well soon, my son." Lenin's eyebrows twitched as Martin gently squeezed his hand so he returned the gesture, the anaesthetic slowly losing its effect. "Dasvidaniya, Lenin. Dasvidaniya."

Lenin spent the next few days recovering from the operation mostly in silence. Rikku had only visited once, a broken look in his eyes. Luckily Kirill had not been there. In fact, Kirill rarely left Lenin's side as they discussed the things Lenin had been remembering. Kirill knew that Lenin was getting closer to being the person he used to know. Especially now Rikku wasn't around to pester Lenin. Lyov stopped by one afternoon with Hayner and two other students. There was a brown haired blue eyed girl and a black haired brown eyed boy. They both looked to be eighteen years old. "Hey Lenin. I heard Rikku's easing off your trail. Bryan has come to work covered in bruises again." _**"It's for the best, Lyov. Rikku can't keep clinging to me. He's gotta learn to survive on his own now. It's kill or be killed in the adult world. I've done little to prepare him for the cold cruel world. Lyov, did I do the right thing? Pushing him away?" **_"Yes I'm very certain of it Lenin. You look like a burden has left your shoulders lately. I thought I'd introduce you to Pence and Olette. They're friends of mine. We've been together since we started studying here." _**"Nice to meet you, guys. Hopefully I should have my voice back soon."**_

"That's wonderful Lenin. I hope it worked. The girls have been going mad, saying they wished you spoke more often. Do they know you're a mute?" Lenin slowly nodded his head and looked left to see Kirill was fast asleep on the chair next to the bed. _**"He's been looking after me for a few days now. Rikku only visited once. Kirill wasn't well on that day but I'm kinda glad. I expect Rikku to be even more hostile now. Very little of my past is a mystery now, Lyov. I'm getting better. And it's all thanks to both Kirill and the bitbeasts my parents left me." **_A growl cut the conversation short but before Lyov could do anything, Lenin gently pulled on Kirill's jacket to wake him up. "Unh. Huh? What's up bud? You hungry? I'll be back in about ten minutes. Oh hey Lyov." "I hear you've quit smoking. Good boy." "Fuck you." "I guess some things don't change." "Especially not the way you've been looking at me. Quit it. I'm not interested." Lyov's cheeks turned a pale shade of pink. "How long have you known?" "A while. Great I have to deal with Alehandro soon. I'm really not in the mood."

Once Lenin had something to eat, Kirill went to deal with his troublesome boyfriend. Kirill had decided it was time to tell Alehandro that their relationship was over. He never wanted it. The coupling was forced, making Kirill feel trapped. Kirill found Alehandro in his room at the mansion waiting for him. "Here you are. Where've you been Kirill?" "With a friend. Look, Alehandro. We've gotta talk." "Kirill? What's going on?" "It's over, Alehandro." "What's over?" "This relationship you pushed onto me. I don't want it anymore. All this time I failed to see that you were being selfish. Always wanting me for yourself. Well it ends now." "You're ditching me for that mute bastard aren't you? Well forget it!" Kirill tried to push Alehandro back but he was too strong. Alehandro tugged at Kirill's clothes, smothering his mouth to stop him screaming for help. Kirill snapped his eyes shut as Alehandro began making hard, unwanted love to him. No matter how hard Kirill fought, he couldn't get free. Back at the school, Lenin was busy playing a game of chess with Olette when suddenly, his senses clicked. 'What is it Kunimi?' _"Kirill is in peril. His partner is hurting him."_

Olette grew worried when Lenin started looking for something. "What's the matter Lenin? Are you feeling okay?" _**"Kirill's in trouble! I have to do something!" **_"I can't understand you, Lenin. I'm sorry. I'll go get someone who can speak in sign." 'There's no time!' Lenin was furious that he couldn't leave the medical wing, giving Olette a note to give to the nearest member of staff she could find. He could only hope and pray that Kirill wasn't in serious danger. 'Please be okay. I'm sorry I can't do more for you, Kirill.' Instead of a staff member, Olette found Hayner. "Hayner!" "Huh? Olette? What's the matter? I thought you were watching Lenin?" "Kirill's in trouble. Lenin gave me this note for a member of staff but I can't find anyone." "Leave it to me. You go tell Lenin not to worry. I'll handle this Olette." "Thank you Hayner. I'm sure Lenin will appreciate your help." Hayner and Olette went their separate ways and it didn't take Hayner long to locate Lyov, giving him the message. Thanking Hayner, Lyov made a beeline for the mansion. 'Where is everyone?!'

The answer to Lyov's question resided at the hospital. Emmeline had taken a harsh fall in the morning and was currently still unconscious. Tala, in panic and worry, had triggered himself into labour. Kai excused himself from the waiting room when his phone vibrated. "Hello?" ("Kai, it's Emily. Lyov just delivered a disturbing note from Lenin. He says that Kirill's in trouble at the mansion.") "Thanks Emily. I'll send Bryan over there right away." Nobody knew what to say when Kai returned looking rather miffed. "Kai?" "Bryan, get to the mansion quickly. I've just received word from Lenin that Kirill needs help. I think Alehandro has finally snapped." "I'm on it Kai. You're not coming?" "I need to get to the school. Kirill might be family but the school takes first priority. Especially when it appears that Emily and Salima are the only ones there." "Well it is a weekend." "Typical! I'll try and be back soon!" Kai and Bryan left the hospital and made haste to their destinations. Bryan didn't care who was watching as he stormed into the mansion, making his way to Kirill's room, a stun rod in hand. It seemed that Bryan had arrived just in time. Alehandro was taking things a little further, a knife in his hand.

"Let him go Alehandro! Or I will use force!" "Piss off! I'm busy here!" "I said let him go! NOW!" Alehandro's hand met Kirill's cheek when he started to squirm. Upon failing with threats, Bryan held to his word, grabbing Alehandro in a sleeper hold, slowly pulling him away from Kirill to avoid causing the young Hiwatari more pain than he was already feeling. Once his dick was free, Alehandro became quite violent, writhing to get free. Dante was drawn to the room by all the obscene language. "What's going on here?!" "Call the cops Dante. This little bastard just crossed the final line. Stop squirming you bastard. You'll be behind bars soon enough. I wonder what your friends would say." "Let go of me you asshole!" "Careful now. I wouldn't wanna break your neck. It's alright Kirill. Lenin got a message to us. He knew somehow." Kirill didn't seem to be paying attention, curling up under the bed sheets to hide and wait for the troubles to fade away. The police arrived within minutes of being called and Alehandro was taken into custody, but he didn't go quietly.

It took some time to get Kirill out of hiding. Coming out of his shell had cost him his dignity. In the end, Lenin had to be brought from the school just for Kirill to listen to someone. He was most scared of somebody taking evidence from his body that could be used to get Alehandro put behind bars. Knowing Lenin was close by gave Kirill the courage he needed to face the police. With the evidence taken, Kirill was given some time to dress himself. But Lenin was granted permission to stay. After Lenin's poor experience with police interrogators, Kirill was given a nice senior officer to take his report. "There now it'll be alright. Can you tell me exactly what happened Kirill? I won't force you to answer. Take your time." "I…I just came to tell him that our r-r-relationship was o-o-over. He yelled a little. Then he…he…" The officer didn't need a verbal answer after that but by law he needed Kirill to tell him. "I understand it's hard Kirill. But you need to tell me verbally okay? I can't read what you're thinking. Young man, what is your connection with this event?" Lenin gave the officer a little note, asking him if he could read sign language. "Well yes. My daughter is deaf. Please tell me what you know."

"_**I have no real physical connection to this case but I am the one who brought the attack to light." **_"And how did you do that? You were not here when the attack began?" _**"No. I was in the medical wing at school recovering from an operation. You can choose not to believe me but I sensed that Kirill was in danger. I have a special ability that triggers whenever somebody is in trouble. Normally it only happens when young children are in peril. But since I share a bond with Kirill it alerted me to his need of help." **_"That sounds too good to be true. So you're a psychic. At least Kirill has a good friend looking out for him. I do apologise for what my colleague tried to do to you, Lenin. She's been suspended for tampering with evidence. Kirill, I'll give you some time to relax and have a drink then we'll resume our talk. I don't want you to feel like you're under a microscope. Comfort is the most important thing for a victim of any crime. Well unless they've been murdered. Take as long as you need. Giving a statement is never easy, no matter how many you give."

Kirill was glad that he had a nice interrogator. As promised he was given an hour to pull himself together. Kai arrived just as the interrogator finished. They nodded at each other silently. "Kirill are you okay? Why didn't you wait until someone was here to back you up?" "I…I…I didn't t-t-think he'd grow violent, Kai. Can you thank the officer for me? He was very kind and didn't pressure me to answer his questions." "I can do that. Thanks Lenin. I don't know what we'd do without you back in our lives." Lenin gave a slow nod as he stroked Kirill's hair. Lenin wasn't sure how but Kirill managed to find the bravery to get some sleep. Serenity could fight her worry no more, wanting to know if Kirill was okay. It made her happy to see Lenin by Kirill's side, comforting him through the pain. He knew how it felt to be shamed. Serenity wanted to hold Kirill in her arms and comfort him but he looked so innocent leaning against Lenin's side she resisted the urge. It took Lenin a while to notice Serenity standing by the door, giving her a warm half smile. "You've really warmed up to him, Lenin. On behalf of the family, thank you. Kirill's been turning his life around since you came back to him."

Serenity sat herself behind Kirill and hugged his back gently. Her displays of affection told Lenin that she cared deeply about the family. Probably even for him. They stayed there in total silence until Kirill stirred an hour later. He still looked very tired. "Mom? Lenin?" "It's okay Kirill. You're safe now sweetie. Alehandro can't hurt you anymore. Raziel has gone to let your friends know what's happened so I'm sure they'll be here soon. If it wasn't for Lenin, we never would've known what was happening to you." "Lenin? You…saved me? Thanks. I owe you one. Lenin, I know you can't speak yet but…would you like to join my band if it doesn't split? It's unfair on all the deaf people who can't hear our songs. With your help, they can enjoy what everyone else hears." Lenin took a moment to think. It sounded like a lot of fun so he accepted Kirill's offer. Kirill once again fell asleep so Lenin left him with Serenity since he had to get back to resting in the medical wing. Everyone at the mansion took the time to thank Lenin before Kai took him back to the school to recover.

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And that's that. No more Alehandro.

I'm stuck for words so please R&R whilst I deal with chapter five.


	5. Chapter 5

Here we go, chapter five. Yeah I know, song titles are creeping in again. And will continue to do so for a few more chapters.

On with ya'll now. Get a readin ya little devils.

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Chapter 5

Closer

Three months more went by. Max and Tala now had a son called Etsuko. He was the opposite of Emmeline with Tala's hair and eyes. Sadly Lenin's voice had not returned to him but he couldn't blame Spencer. It wasn't his fault. One day at the school it was time for another group assembly where Kirill and his band were going to try out some new material. Lenin had been practicing with them. The band was turning away from heavier rock but they didn't go too soft. Lenin didn't see much of Rikku nowadays but Lyov kept an eye on him. With everyone gathered in the big hall, Kirill stepped up to make an announcement. "Alright guys, listen up. We've got a new list of songs for you today originally sung by the likes of Cash-Cash, Crush 40 and various other softer rock bands. I'm sure you've all noticed that one of your fellow students has joined our ranks. Okay first up for you all today we have Speak With Your Heart by Cash-Cash. We hope you enjoy the new line up!"

All eyes were trained on the stage as the stated song began. Salima arrived halfway into the song with four individuals. Two were boys and the others were girls. The tallest boy was aged around eighteen with a classic v-shaped torso and packed with muscles. His hair was long hazel brown, eyes a deep crimson. Next to him stood a blind boy with short dark brown hair. He too looked to be eighteen. One of the girls had skin so dark she was almost pitch black. Her hair was long and coloured purple. She too seemed to be blind. Lastly by the black girl stood a pretty young woman with rosy pink hair. Her eyes held a blind shine to them. She and the head boy had tanned skin though his was a dark tan. Salima indicated for them to wait by the door whilst she informed Kai of their arrival. "Kai, the new students are here. Quite a traverse bunch they are too." "Okay. Thanks Salima. You can go." "I should warn you, the tallest boy and the black girl are both deaf and the pinkette is blind and dumb." "Thanks for the heads up. I'll deal with them now." With her job done, Salima went back to the reception desk.

The group shied away slightly as Kai approached them slowly. There was an adult with them. Kai guessed they were the one admitting the impaired young folk. "Welcome. You must be the new students I've heard about. I'm Principle Hiwatari. Or Headmaster. Whichever you prefer. I understand you all have communication barriers but don't worry. There are other students here just like you. In fact, our best mute student is on stage right now sign singing." "Sign singing?" Kai turned his attention to the blind boy and he backed up a little. "It's alright. I have no intentions of harming you. Lenin's only been with us for four months and he's already got his memory back. We promise that you'll all be treated equally." "What is sign singing?" "Well Lenin's just translating the words you're hearing right now for the students who have hearing impairments. What's your name?" "I'm Elian sir. This is Pell." Said young man gripped Elian's hand to comfort him. "This is Kira." Elian moved over to the black girl with some difficulty and rested a hand on her shoulder. Kai noticed she too was blind. Along with the next girl Elian introduced. "And this is Nolita."

Kai turned to the adult to get their point of view. "Well done Elian. You're getting much better." "You think so?" "Of course. Normally you never stray from Pell's side. Forgive my rudeness, Mr. Hiwatari. I'm Dean Jenkins. I've been looking after these guys for about half a year now. Pell only lost his hearing recently so he's having trouble coming to terms with it." "I see. I promise that they'll be quite happy here. I'll ask Lenin to look after them. Can't rely on Lyov all the time. Come and sit yourselves down. How long has Elian been blind?" "Since he was about six years old. He got caught by an acid spray. As you can see it scarred his face." It was only then that Kai noticed the scalded tissue on Elian's face. "You must be glad not to be able to see what the acid did to your face." "Y-y-yes I am sir. I must look like a monster." "Don't think that way. You're still a good looking fellow. That's what I think anyway." "Thank you sir." "You're welcome." "Please be kind to Nolita. It's harder for her being blind and dumb." "We'll show her the utmost respect, Elian. You have my word."

It seemed that Elian wasn't all that scarred from whatever abuse he suffered. Once the song ended Kai called Lenin over to meet his new posse. Lenin stood completely still when Elian started touching him. "Wow you're really tall. And bumpy." "That's because he has a lot of muscle, Elian. Lenin is just over seven feet tall. Just remember, Lenin can't verbally reply to you." "Is that what mute means?" "Yes. It's a nicer way of saying somebody cannot speak. I think dumb is a bit harsh. Mr. Jenkins has to go now so say your farewells. I'm sure he'll come and visit once you're all settled in." Kai and Lenin watched as the four friends embraced their carer. With Dean gone, Pell looked lost so Lenin tapped him on the shoulder and gave the brunette the thumbs up. Sadly Lenin's first gesture of peace wasn't accepted so he held his hand out for Pell to shake. With a little encouragement from Elian, Pell accepted the offer. When Lenin laid his eyes on Nolita, it was near impossible to tear them away. Until Pell grew protective, shoving Lenin away from Nolita with some force. To Kai's luck, Pell's protectiveness didn't spark a fight. Lenin knew how Pell felt.

Before being taken to their new rooms, Pell's gang were taken for an entrance medical examination. Kai was sure that Pell's true colours would show themselves but to ease his mind, the girls would be examined by Emily in a separate room to him and Elian. Kai watched with Max behind a one way glass window to see how Pell behaved. Lenin was with them so he knew what he was dealing with. "Kai, I get the feeling that Elian wasn't abused physically. He's far too open." "Or maybe he was abused by women. So far he's only interacted with guys. Elian has known Kira and Nolita for a long time so they have his trust. But Elian is lacking scars on his body. Dean said he'll send us their files soon so we have a clear view of their situations. We've gotta somehow convince Pell to wear hearing aids." Kai and Max winced when they saw the scars littering Pell's muscular physique. It was almost as if somebody had put him through a combine harvester. Even Lenin was pained to see so many healed wounds on one body, feeling guilty that he himself hadn't received such torture.

The exams finished just as Salima arrived with Judy and Matthew. Max was of course happy to see his parents. Even at thirty two years of age he could still be childish. "Mom! Dad!" "Maxie! We've been so worried about you." "I'm sorry I haven't been in touch. There's been a lot going on recently. And as you can see, we've got more students." "At least you're okay." "How's Tala?" Max noticed the hatred in Judy's eyes at the mentioning of his husband. "He's okay dad. We have a three month old son now. Little Etsuko is just like his papa. With blonde streaks in his hair. And I'm not sure if the media's found out yet but Kai gave us a shock with quadruplets." "I guess you and Hiro will be playing clean from now on then?" Kai nodded, returning his attention to the examination room to find Kira and Nolita had been reunited with Pell and Elian. There was a look of anger on Pell's face and fear was evident on Nolita's. "I think Emily upset Nolita coz Pell doesn't look very happy. Wait a sec, where is Emily?" The female genius in question soon arrived with Bryan at her side. "I'm fine Kai. And I didn't upset Nolita. She's just frightened. Oh hello Judy. What a nice surprise."

Judy's face fell when Tala made an entrance, wrapping his arms around Max's waist. Kai didn't know what Judy's problem was. Max had found happiness yet she didn't deem it acceptable. Finding out Max had turned gay eleven years ago sent her into shock. "Hey good lookin'. Where's Etsuko?" "With my parents. And what a pleasant surprise to see the in-laws here of all places." "We wanted to see our son. Is there something wrong with that?" "I never said there was. And I'm not keeping Max from visiting you. We've just been really busy. This school is very demanding. By the time we've finished working at the end of the day, making long distance phone calls is the last thing on our minds. Plus we have children to care for that you apparently don't want anything to do with. Whether you like it or not, Judy. Max and I are happy together and you can do nothing to tear us apart. So either accept that Max is happy or get the fuck out of his life and stay out of it. Matthew seems content with the way Max is. Why can't you be?" "Two men having children isn't natural!"

Luckily, Emmeline came to Judy's rescue, distracting Tala from his previous feelings of anger. Her presence also dissuaded Kai from taking action physically as she cuddled him. Emmeline was left confused when Judy walked away, not allowing the child to hug her. To cheer Emmeline up, Matthew took her into his arms. "Hey there princess. You're getting too big for this. Don't mind grandma. She's just not feeling well." "Okay grandpa. You need to shave." "I know. I've not long got off of a plane so there hasn't been time for me to groom myself. How's Bruce doing?" Matthew's question was directed at Kai who had been distracted by Rika. "He's alright. Despite his age, the younger women are all over him. Sadly he doesn't work here. Bruce got a job at the local jewellery with meaning store. There he sells precious stones and charms with mystical qualities. In truth I've never believed such stuff." "Well it's not for everyone Kai. Down you go Emmeline. I'm not getting any younger. When can I see little Etsuko?" "Soon, pops. Emmeline, go find your boyfriend." "Kiro's not my boyfriend." Tala stuck his tongue out at Emmeline as she went off in a huff.

Matthew couldn't help but laugh at Tala's childish ways. Kai's attention was robbed when Pell and his group came out of the examination room. There was no warmth in Pell's eyes when he stared at Kai. To him, Kai and the others were just more sick people waiting to cause harm to his friends. "Now, Pell. There's no need for such looks. I know what you're thinking but we're not here to hurt you. I'll show you all to your rooms. You'll be comforted to know that Kira and Nolita will be sharing a room. This way please." Kai was distracted from his route by a message from reception. Kai rummaged through his pockets afterwards to find he didn't have the room keys with him. "It's always me." "What's up Kai?" "Kelsey says I have a visitor in my office and I've forgotten the room keys." Only a few people laughed at Kai's predicament. Pell was none too amused. Elian could tell Pell was getting rather agitated but there was little he could do. Max and Tala broke off from the group with Matthew outside Tala's office. Since it was lunch time, the other students were busy outside.

Kai grumbled and groaned as he stepped into his quarters, paying no attention to the visitor whom sat at one side of the room. However, Kai felt a familiar presence off to the left just as his fingers found the key's he was searching for. Out of everyone Kai knew, Tyson Granger was the last person he expected to see. Lenin quickly identified that Kai was not very happy to see his guest, slowly taking the three room keys from him to show the others where they'd be staying. Kai and Tyson were locked in a deadly staring competition, regardless of the little boy at Tyson's side. "What are you doing here Tyson?" Kai's words were spoken coldly so it was no wonder that Tyson shivered, taking slowly to his feet. "Kai, I understand that I'm not welcome here. I just wanted to see you. It's been so long and I've been hearing many good things about the work you're doing. I was a fool eleven years ago. I know that now it's too late and there's probably no chance of you accepting the apology I want to give. Those things I said shouldn't have been spoken." "Well you're right Tyson. It is too late. In all honesty I forgot that you existed over the years I've been happy with my family."

On the topic of forgetting, Kai foolishly didn't remember that the quadruplets were in the room sleeping. Until Sable wanted some attention. Luckily Kayla, Mihaeru and Kabuto slept through the noise their sister was making. Tyson watched as Kai took Sable into his arms gently, hushing the tot and rubbing her back. 'You would have to be hungry now of all times wouldn't you Sable?' Kai was so busy preparing four bottles with Sable on his hip he didn't hear Sothe entering after knocking. Luckily for Tyson Sothe hadn't been told about him. "Is everything alright Kai?" The man in question almost flew out of his skin, heart leaping into his mouth. "Bloody hell Sothe. Don't sneak up on me like that." "Sorry. Kelsey said you had a visitor so I came to lend a hand with the kids. The bigger kids." "You just missed them. I'm sure Lenin will be fine. I thought you'd be with Ilyana?" "Take a guess. I swear that woman is a slave driver. I want to stay home and help to look after the kids but Ilyana keeps insisting that I need to work." "Sounds like Ilyana. Here, take Sable a minute. I need both of my hands to do this."

Sothe handled Sable gingerly and Tyson studied him quietly. It seemed the little girl was rather fragile, more so than her siblings. It wasn't long before Kabuto started to stir but Sothe already had his hands full. Kai muttered something about the kids giving him a break under his breath as he took Kabuto out of the mosey basket. Kai inwardly debated with himself on whether to trust Tyson with the boy. Sothe wasn't blind to Kai's insecurity, setting Sable down in her bouncy chair by Kai's desk. Three other chairs were beside it, all of them positioned so that Kai could keep an eye on the little rascals. "Here I'll take him. You really shouldn't bring them to work Kai." "Sothe, I'm normally stuck in this office all day so I can spend more time with them." Sothe knew Kai was lying. He just didn't want Sonya near the infants but Sothe wasn't willing to call Kai's bluff. Not in front of Tyson. Kai counted down the minutes in his head, knowing it was only a matter of time before Hiro turned up. "You should leave, Tyson. Before Hiro gets here. I don't trust him to be gone long. I'll consider what you've said and get in touch." Tyson nodded with a small smile, glad that Kai was giving him a chance at redemption.

Unfortunately, just as Tyson opened the door to leave, Hiro made his appearance. As you can imagine Hiro was furious at seeing Tyson in Kai's office, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt with a venomous growl. "You have no right to be here Tyson. After eleven years I hoped to never see your face again. You've got nerve coming here I'll grant you that. Now get out. You've done enough to Kai and I won't let you hurt him anymore. Kai why didn't you kick him out?" "I don't know Hiro. Maybe because he seeks forgiveness for his actions." "Like hell he is. Have you gone soft?! I for one haven't forgotten how broken you were when we came here. A dragon can't change its scales." "No Hiro. But it can change its ways. If anything I would say that Tyson didn't come here for himself. He doesn't want his son to be shunned for something he'd done in the past. I sense that the boy is now Dragoon's master as Gou is Dranzer's. All Tyson's asking for is a second chance." Hiro was prevented from saying anything else by two familiar youngsters by the door. Just like their papa, they were too curious for their own good.

When Gou clashed eyes with Tyson's son a rivalry sparked. The same one Kai and Tyson once shared. Rika didn't like the way Gou was staring at the boy, clinging to Hiro's leg. "Papa what's going on?" "Nothing, Gou." To avoid further conflict, Tyson decided to leave, taking his son with him. He'd left just in time too. Semyon came around the opposite corner with Aio and Ico at his sides. The look on Hiro's face told him everything he needed to know. "Took him long enough to come crawling back. What'd he want?" "A second chance on his son's behalf." "Well he can forget about it as far as I'm concerned. How are the new students holding up Kai?" "Well enough though I fear Pell will raise some issues." Sothe excused himself when he received a message from reception telling him he had a visitor. Thinking it was Ilyana, Sothe tidied his clothes up. When he got there however his heart stopped beating. Silver met tired red, trapped in time as years seemed to go back. Sothe was staring at none other than the woman that had broken his heart. Her hair was much longer than he remembered it being, now styled into a bun held in place by a hairclip. "Hello Sothe. It's been a while."

Sothe bolted, unable to stand the memories that were coming back to him. The woman gave chase, leaving a little girl behind with Lethe. She called for Sothe to wait but he failed to hear her. His sprint was cut short by a sharp object plunging into his gut. Sothe staggered back, looking at his attacker as he fell to the ground. "Sothe! Someone help!" The young man responsible for stabbing Sothe stalked forwards but he was reprimanded by Ian and Ray. They too recognised the woman holding Sothe in her arms as he bled. Ian radioed for backup whilst Ray restrained the student. Semyon arrived within minutes of receiving the call, carrying Sothe to the medical wing. Kai had arrived ahead of Semyon to see how serious Sothe's injury was. He wasn't the slightest bit amused to see the woman accompanying them. "Koudelka Lassant. I was wondering if we'd see you again. You've got some nerve coming near Sothe after what you did to him. Why now? He's happy." "Mr. Hiwatari. I'm not here because I want to be with Sothe. There's something I need to talk with him about rather urgently."

Thankfully Semyon was able to keep Sothe calm despite the double dose of shock the young guard had been administered. He and Kai were both concerned about Koudelka's sudden arrival but Sothe agreed to see her. His eyes looked rather heavy from her point of view. "Be quick. My family will be here soon and Ilyana won't take kindly to your presence." "Sothe first of all I wanted to apologise for what I did to you. It was wrong of me. But I fear my time is nearing its end. I have cancer. So severe it cannot be treated." "You came here to tell me that you're dying? I should hope you weren't expecting sympathy." Koudelka gently took Sothe's hand, her eyes shining with unshed tears. "No Sothe. I did not come here for my benefit. You have a daughter, Sothe. Lethe and I have both decided that Hayley would be better off with you. She's been nagging at me for years about wanting to meet her father. I just couldn't find the strength to come here. Not after how I'd left." Koudelka's mind swam for a moment and the world around her seemed to spin. Sothe was about to tell Koudelka it wasn't his choice alone when Ilyana hurried into the room, Emika and a little boy beside her.

Koudelka grew very nervous, backing away from the bed out of fear. The boy was just like Sothe from head to toe no older than five years old. Ilyana also appeared to be pregnant again. It wasn't long before Ilyana's eyes found Koudelka and she was livid. "The hell are you doing near my husband?! Get out!" "Ilyana, please." "Sothe?" "Koudelka won't be here long. She came to me for help." "Fat chance she's getting any. Go on get out!" Ilyana gasped at the sudden tight grip Sothe's hand had on her wrist. "Will you just listen?! She's not here for herself. Not long after you and I got together, Koudelka told me she was pregnant with my child." "Now she wants you to raise it so she can go off gallivanting with some random guy? Out of the question!" Sothe knew it was only a matter of time before Koudelka snapped and it happened seconds later. "For your information you selfish bitch I'm dying!" Ilyana grew pale at the look Koudelka was giving her. "I'll admit right now that I was a fool to let Sothe slip away like that. In fact, I haven't dated anybody since our daughter was born! I dedicated myself to being a mother to Hayley!"

Koudelka clutched at a table to steady herself as the stress Ilyana brought on was starting to affect her. The kids were frightened of all the shouting. They rarely saw either of their parents in angry mode. "I'm not the same little slut Sothe used to know! I didn't want my child to suffer. We're both mothers who love their children. I'm here because I want Hayley to be happy. She'll be awfully lonely when I die. Surely you understand, having a daughter of your own. You're a wonderful woman, Ilyana. You've made Sothe happier than I ever could." "Where is she now?" Koudelka swallowed thickly, feeling her chest tighten immensely. "She's with Lethe. My time is almost up. Please. I'm begging you. Don't push Hayley away because of something I did. She's just a child after all." Semyon made a dash to catch Koudelka as her legs finally gave in, setting her down on one of the spare beds. "Take it easy. You're doing yourself no favours by getting stressed." Semyon's words were calm and gentle as he rested a hand on Koudelka's shoulder. "I understand exactly how you feel. The father of my daughter is dead." "But she doesn't know does she?" "No. I'd rather keep it that way."

Semyon carefully took Koudelka's wrist between his fingers to discover her pulse was fading. Her time was indeed nearing its end. He stepped away, knowing she wouldn't want to be revived. Lethe appeared at the door, being careful not to let Hayley see what she was seeing. Most unfortunately the little girl desperately wanted to be by her mother, pushing past Lethe angrily. "Mummy!" "Hayley. You shouldn't be here sweetie. Go and wait outside with Grandma Lethe." "No! You told me I could see papa!" "Off you go. He's right over there." Hayley's eyes were like saucers as she slowly approached Sothe's bed, unsure of how his family would react. Sothe distracted Hayley by stroking her hair so he could look at Koudelka without alerting the child. Tears were falling from Koudelka's half closed eyes. She didn't seem to be in pain. Instead, there was a smile on her weary face as death slowly settled in. Sothe gave a small nod, trying to fight the tears growing in his own eyes. Everything he used to feel for Koudelka came flooding back as he watched her life slipping away.

Soon the rising and falling of Koudelka's chest stopped, indicating that she had passed on. Sothe wondered if Hayley knew her mother was dying. The girl wanted to go back to her mother minutes after Koudelka stopped breathing but Sothe tried to stop her from turning around. This of course didn't go down well with Hayley. Since Sothe was still a little weak from being stabbed Hayley was able to break free from his hold. She was confused at seeing her mother lying so still. "Mummy are you okay? When are we going home?" Nobody could stand to watch as Hayley tried to get a reaction out of her mother. Confusion settled in first before fear took precedence. "Mummy? Mummy!" Lethe approached the girl slowly and took her tiny shoulders. But Hayley was reluctant to leave Koudelka's side. It broke Ilyana's heart to see the child frantically shaking her mothers' dead body. "Mummy wake up!" "Hayley. She won't wake." "But why? Why won't mummy wake up? We have to go home." "I'm sorry sweetie. Your mom has gone to heaven." "No you're lying! Mummy wouldn't leave me!" "Hayley I know this is hard for you to understand but I'm telling you the truth. We didn't want you to be upset. Your mom has been dying for a while now. She just finally gave up."

Although Hayley didn't fully understand what Lethe was saying, she gave in to her tears. Sothe felt guilty, wishing there was something he could've done to prevent his daughter being robbed of her mother. When Semyon covered Koudelka's body with a blanket Hayley flipped. "What are you doing?! Get away from my mummy!" "Sorry kid but her body has to be taken away now. Come here. Let me tell you something." Hayley sniffled back more sobs, allowing Semyon to take her tiny hands. "Your mom isn't really gone for good, Hayley. She'll be watching you always." "She will? (Sniffle)" "Yeah. I'll bet she thinks you look silly right now. But you will always be carrying a piece of her within you as your life goes on. I lost my mom too. Before I even got to know who she was. Even after fifty odd years I'm still sad that she's gone. Nobody ever wants to leave their children behind. Koudelka was no exception. She loved you more than anything in this world." "You're a nice person." "Why thank you. I just want to help."

Having seen how Hayley reacted to losing her mother, Ilyana had little hope of having the same bond with the girl. Sothe understood the look of thought on Ilyana's face. He was worried too but Hayley was his daughter and she needed him now Koudelka had gone. "It's been a long time Lethe." "Sothe I'm sorry we had to see each other under such grim terms." "It's okay. Was she a good mother?" "Yes. Koudelka poured her very soul into raising Hayley. Like you she's very curious. Probably too much so. But Hayley's a good girl." "I'll bet she's got Koudelka's sharp tongue though. I'll admit I do miss the verbal lashings she gave me in Spain eleven years ago." Lethe couldn't help but chuckle. Back when they met, Sothe and Koudelka were like oil and water. She remembered everything as if it happened only yesterday. "I won't abandon her, Lethe. Not after I was disowned by my own parents." "If you refused, Hayley would've stayed with me. I'm just glad that Koudelka held on long enough. We found out five years ago that Koudelka had cancer. The doctors could do nothing since it was so advanced. We had Hayley checked over but she's clear of the disease."

Once Hayley had calmed down she was properly introduced to Ilyana and her children. Sothe worried about the haunted look in her silver eyes. Riley was the boys' name. Much like Sothe, he was very nervous but Emika was Ilyana all over. Sothe had expected Emika to be aggressive towards Hayley but she was very friendly and cuddled her newly discovered half sister. "Don't worry Hayley. We'll look after you. Won't we mum?" Ilyana wore a warm smile as she ruffled Emika's tidy hair. "Yes we will. Your father needs to rest so let's go home. Would you like to come with us Hayley?" "No thank you. I just…" Thinking of her mother brought more tears to Hayley's eyes. Ilyana had a nasty shock when she moved to comfort the grieving child. Hayley shoved Ilyana away and ran out of the medical wing. Lethe followed after Hayley to make sure she didn't get hurt. Ilyana however was wounded. "I should've expected that." "Give her time Ilyana. She'll come around. Go and rest yourself. I'll have words with Semyon to see what he can come up with." Ilyana left without another word, taking the kids with her.

The news of Koudelka's death reached Kai's ears and he oddly felt sad. The youngsters were keeping him busy though, all four of them wanting attention at the same time. Kai was just about to reach the end of his tether when Lenin returned. "Lenin thank goodness. I was beginning to think nobody would come to my aid. Are they settled?" _**"Almost. Pell's quite nervous about his new surroundings. I left Elian with him. Good company might be just what Pell needs right now. I've heard rumours of a death on my way here. Is it true?" **_"I'm afraid so. It was someone Sothe knew. She left a daughter to him. Cancer took Koudelka's life. I imagine the girl isn't taking well." Lenin's ears twitched to the sound of crying that was getting louder by the second. He stepped out of Kai's office only to be tackled by Hayley. Being the gentle giant he was, Lenin tried to comfort her. By now Hayley was tired from all the running and crying. Lethe had apparently lost sight of her. Lenin gently ushered Hayley into the office and sat her down with a glass of water. Kai knew just by looking at Hayley that she was Koudelka's child. She had the same mocha brown hair cut to her lower shoulders.

Whilst Lenin sat with Hayley, Kai informed Lethe that the girl was safe. No doubt she'd be getting worried. By the time Lethe arrived, Hayley had fallen asleep in Lenin's arms. "So what's the word Lethe?" "Sothe will take her. Is that fine by you?" "Yes. She's his daughter after all. Poor thing cried herself to sleep." "It's Ilyana you should be worrying about. Hayley's already showing signs of not wanting to bond with her. But that might've been due to the stress of losing her mother. Sothe tried to stop Hayley looking but he was still weak." "He did his best. Don't worry Lethe. Sothe will take good care of Hayley. We all will. Your girls are doing well. Most of them are ready to move on now." "That's wonderful news. I often worry how they've been getting on with the boys. And I believe some congratulations are in order young man. Never thought I'd see the day you brought quadruplets into the world." "Yes well they're driving me damn crazy. I'm thinking of getting the snip if it's possible. Otherwise it'll be Hiro getting it instead." Kai groaned when Sable started screaming again.

With Lethe now cradling Hayley, Lenin went to his dorm in hopes of getting a shower. The day had been eventful so far and it was bound to get more active. After another hour Lenin was squeaky clean and doing some of his coursework. He was surprised by a knock at his door, opening it to see the same auburn haired pink eyed girl from his paper round. The girl was none other than Jenny. She'd grown up to be a fine young woman over the years. "Hey Lenin. Can I come in?" Lenin stepped aside for Jenny to enter his domain, wondering why she showed up so suddenly. He was yanked into a kiss upon turning around, allowing Jenny what she wanted but her hands stopped on his abs. "Lenin we need to talk. I understand you gave up your paper round some time ago. But I haven't been entirely truthful with you, Lenin. I was abused as a child just like you were. I was rescued and brought here for treatment. It took a while but the staff here managed to help me recover but some fears I had still remain." A feeling of pity welled up inside Lenin as he softly kissed Jenny's cheeks to try and light the fire she normally had for him. He knew something was wrong.

At first Jenny allowed Lenin's hands to wander but stopped them at her waist. She was giving off signs that worried Lenin. The look in his eyes told her he was confused. "I'm sorry Lenin. It ends here. I've found someone else. I knew that with all the competition I'd never win your heart. You're a good man Lenin. I enjoyed the times we spent together but I'm putting that behind me now. I have to for his sake. We can still be friends though, right? You've always been there when I needed somebody to hold." Lenin understood that Jenny wanted to move on, kissing her softly on the forehead. 'You deserve to be happy Jenny. Now I can only wish you all the best in life.' Jenny seemed to hear Lenin's thoughts, hugging him tightly. "Thank you. For everything. Maybe one day I'll bring my partner to see you. I have to go now. I'm supposed to be going on a date with him this afternoon. Be a good boy." Lenin couldn't help but smile at the scolding tone in Jenny's voice. Before Jenny left, Lenin put a flower in her hair. The white rose went perfectly with Jenny's features.

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Aww bless. Lenin gave a girl a flower. Isn't he a sweetheart?

Well more loving to come,both straight and yaoi.


	6. Chapter 6

Well time to reel in all those old familiar faces. I do hope the last chapter didn't make too many of you cry. I shed buckets just writing it!

Anyway, enough banter, more reading.

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Chapter 6

Reunion Ahoy!

Another month went by after Koudelka passed away. Hayley had settled well with her new family and was making fast friends with some of the school kids. Spencer had revealed that he was three months pregnant and Laika dropped the same bombshell on Krinjh only she was two months further than Spencer. Rüshi and Ezra were in the gym one morning when Leon walked in. Ezra was a handsome devil at the age of twelve. His brown hair reached his backside, light blonde streaks blending harmoniously amongst the wavy brown locks. Ezra's red eyes had darkened a little over time to a scarlet red. Rüshi's hair had grown long, reaching her thighs. Thin ashen blue highlights gave a lifted look to the blonde tresses that framed a strong face. The only other feature of Leon's that Rüshi had was his eyes. Shining periwinkle orbs danced in the dim light. Leon couldn't help but smile at seeing Rüshi lifting weights alongside her cousin. 'She's Spencer's daughter alright. Always trying to buff herself up.'

"Well look at you little soldiers. Isn't it a bit early to be exercising?" A beaming smile settled on Rüshi's face as she ran to her father, squeezing the air out of him. Ezra disembarked from the weight bench to greet his uncle warmly. "Morning uncle. What's the weather like?" "Same as always Ezra. I should hope you've eaten otherwise uncle Kai will be furious." "Of course we have. That's why we're burning it all off. You know better than anyone how sensitive Rüshi is about her weight. I keep telling her she's not fat but she never listens." Ezra folded his arms with a half pouty look. Leon had to agree with Ezra. Rüshi was stubborn, just like her papa. Spencer and Leon had told their daughter numerous times that she was just big boned but the girl wouldn't have any of it. "Well come on. Spencer and Laika have something to tell you guys so look smart." Rüshi grumbled about her daily routine being ruined and Ezra clapped her on the back only to get the same treatment in return but harder.

Just looking at Rüshi's sour expression Spencer knew she'd been in the gym again. Laika didn't really mind Ezra beefing himself up. It wasn't natural for girls of ten years old to be lifting weights others would break their arms carrying. "Rüshi we've told you a dozen times your bones are bigger than other girls your age. Just like mine were at your age." Rüshi protested in vain when Spencer pulled her into a playful headlock, giving the burly girl a nuggie. "Argh! Papa! You're ruining my hair!" "You sound just like your father each time he gets one for being too damn cute. Rüshi. I know we've never really talked about this before but…how would you like to be a big sister?" Rüshi blinked and tried to avoid the question by hugging Spencer's neck. "Don't avoid the question Ru. Be honest." "Well I don't know. I've got all the family I could ever want. But I'm in no place to stop you having another child papa." "Well like it or not, you're going to have a sibling in six months." Rüshi's eyes widened, unsure if she'd heard Spencer correctly. Leon smiled widely, setting a hand on Rüshi's sturdy shoulder. "Come now Rüshi don't pull that face." "I must be dreaming."

Ezra on the other hand was now aware of the bump Laika was trying to hide from him. "So I'm gonna be a brother again huh? Then bring it on!" "At least one of them is enthusiastic about two new babies arriving." "Well Ezra has always wanted a little sister. Here's hoping it goes to plan this time." "Aww don't be jealous sis. You wouldn't want this little madam." Spencer laughed heartily at the look Rüshi was giving him. "Aww you know I love you really. This does mean you'll both have to start helping out. We'll soon be sentenced to our beds knowing your Uncle Kai." A look of worry settled on Ezra's face when the thought of his little brother Aeron popped up. "Um mom. I hate to burst your bubble but does Aeron know?" "He's very excited. You were worried weren't you?" "What big brother wouldn't be?" "I'm not going to answer that question Ezra. Krinjh will be here any minute now. He went out with Aeron to get Serenity's birthday present. It's hard to believe she's fifty years old next week." "And we can't forget Ian on the 18th. Raziel turns fourteen on the 25th."

As the day went on most of the mansion residents had been shopping for gifts. Sadly among the happy days would be two death anniversaries. Mr. Dickenson and Grandpa Granger had passed away three years prior in only a few days of each other. The 17th and 21st of June would be days of silence and the school would hold 2minutes of soundlessness in respect to the old men. Of course with Mr. Dickenson gone the BBA had been taken over by a very unpleasant young man barely out of his twenties. Very few people could stand him and Kai was one person who absolutely despised the man. Hiro had put his name forward in hopes of succeeding but fate decided the BBA needed a firmer hand. Since it was a school holiday very few teachers were at the school. Kai being the headmaster wasn't freed from his duties, filing paperwork in silence until there was a knock at his door. "Come in." Was Kai's dead sounding reply. Much to his dismay it was the new BBA chairman who entered the room. "What do you want Maverick?" "So cold of you not to greet me with a hello. But I suppose it's to be expected given your disliking of me. I took the time out of my busy schedule to come and see you."

Kai didn't like where Maverick's tone was going, pressing a little button under his desk without looking suspicious. "I trust the youngsters are well?" "Which ones? There's the abused lot and my family." "Both of course. I wouldn't be so cruel as to forget the poor tortured souls." "Both sides are doing fine. Now if you've nothing more to say I suggest you leave." "That's not all Mr. Hiwatari. I'm here on business. It's been a while since the last reunion and I understand that all your fellow bladers were very shook up by Mr. Dickenson's death. Next month at the same venue as all the others there will be a memorial reunion in tribute to the great man. I do hope you'll be able to make it Kai. As part of the tribute, there will be some beybattles. Rumours are your son is pretty good." "I'll ask you kindly not to speak of my boy. Now get out. Just fax me the details if you have time in your oh-so busy day. I have paperwork to deal with that is very important." Maverick put his foot down, refusing to go anywhere until three armed guards arrived to escort him out of the building. "I hope you enjoyed your stay Maverick. Escort this man out."

Out in the streets, Kindra was leading Daniil Valkov home by the hand. Daniil wasn't much different from Tala, always teasing Raziel the first chance he got. Well that was mainly due to watching Tala doing it all the time so the boy saw no harm. Daniil's red hair was short and pushed back, his mismatched eyes giving off an alluring aura. Normally Daniil would be spending time with Emika Hiwatari but today he and Kindra had gone shopping for presents. On their way home the duo bumped into Semyon and Sonya. Timmy looked absolutely freezing. "Kindra, Daniil what a lovely surprise to see you both outside. Shopping I take it?" "Yep. We just finished thankfully. How about you?" "Well aside from the birthday presents, Sonya needed some new shoes. By god Timmy you look dreadful. Let's go home and warm up. I hear Ezra took well to Laika giving him the news of a new sibling on the way." "Yeah. Rüshi didn't seem all that joyous though." Semyon and Kindra laughed but Sonya and Daniil were too cold to do so. By the time they got back everyone had been informed of the reunion. Semyon was mildly surprised that Maverick had gotten out of Kai's office alive.

Later that night Kai couldn't sleep. He sat with a small glass of gin trying to think about everything that had cropped up. Kai was mainly worried about Maverick picking up a sudden interest in Gou. And with Tyson back in the fray it could only mean one thing. 'Gou isn't ready for fame just yet. And I still need to think about whether or not to forgive Tyson. Eleven years is a long time to hold a grudge. The boy doesn't deserve to be pushed aside because of his father's misdeeds. Hiro might not like it but I'm willing to give Tyson a second chance. It's in the past so it should stay there. It'll be good to see everyone again after so long. And no doubt Lee will ask me if any kids are up for adoption again. I have good news for him too. But that can wait for now. I'd better get some sleep. There's a long day ahead of me tomorrow. And I still need to have words with Hiro about letting go of my fertility.' With a mental shrug Kai finished his drink and went back to bed. The quadruplets were sleeping without a care in their beds and Kai hoped they'd stay like that all night.

The days went by and soon June was nothing but a memory. Serenity had been ambushed with a surprise birthday party to celebrate fifty long years of life. Raziel was spoilt rotten as usual but it didn't go to his head. On the 3rd of July Hilary turned thirty one and a day later Rüshi celebrated her 10th birthday. July 6th saw Nina turning fourteen and Raziel couldn't keep his hands off of her. The reunion was taking place on the 21st July, four days before Kai's birthday and the anniversary of his and Hiro's wedding. Kai had been caught off guard first by Hiro proposing to him on his birthday and then received a second shock by getting married that same day. Well the metal tiger owner received so many slaps his face was like a tomato. In the early morning of July 21st Lenin was roused from his slumber by somebody shaking him. Lenin expected to see Kirill but instead it was Kai. "Sorry to wake you so early Lenin. I was just wondering if you wanted to join us this afternoon. There's a reunion happening and we'd feel safer letting the kids run free if you were around. Plus Kirill would be thrilled to spend some time with you." _**"Sure what time? I can make my own way there."**_

Kai was almost unable to read the signs Lenin gave since the tall bluenette was so tired. "One pm at the old palace stadium. Take it easy on the roads. They don't look friendly today. Get some more sleep Lenin. Looks like you really need it." With a nod Lenin allowed his weary head to drop back onto the pillows and soon he was fast asleep. Lenin woke up several hours later to fit in his daily routine of getting out of bed, hitting the gym, flirting with some girls and cleaning his dorm. Kai hadn't told Kirill that Lenin would be attending the reunion, letting his brother receive a surprise that didn't involve the youngsters pulling him out of bed. He'd been none too pleased with Gou, Rin, Emmeline and Kiro. They narrowly got out of being hung by their thumbs. At twenty to one, the reunion members were starting to arrive. Kai excused himself from Brooklyn's company when he heard a bike pulling up outside. Kai smiled at seeing the familiar black jacket fastened around muscular thighs and the bright orange bike helmet. "Lenin. So glad you could make it. Come on inside everyone is waiting.

Kirill was over the moon to see Lenin stepping into the room, latching onto his tall friend instantly. Kunimi and Kazuto were spinning at Lenin's feet for unknown reasons but Kai was sure they just wanted him to be safe. "Lenin what the hell are you doing here?" _**"The headmaster invited me. Sure is packed." **_ "Either way I'm happy to see you. I've been so busy with college lately there's no time for me to visit you. Gah do you have to dress so brightly?" Lenin grinned at the look on Kirill's face. He was indeed dressed in ridiculously bright colours. Yellow jeans were matched with a neon green muscle top above an orange jumper. Lenin's heeled boots were white in colour. His hair had been tied into a tight braid by one of Lenin's lady friends. Lenin's appearance confused all the bladers present. None of them knew who he was. Kunimi and Kazuto had a run around under Lenin's orders to make sure nothing dangerous was present. Garland grew curious enough to confront Kai about the matter. "Hey Kai who is that kid?" "That's Lenin. He's an old friend of Kirill's." "You mean the kid that was stolen by BIOVOLT?" "Yup. He started attending my school in January."

"I'm glad to see he's okay. But the guy needs to shrink. He's putting Crusher to shame. Spencer too." Kai couldn't argue there. Lenin was taller than both the giants he knew. Kai was happy to see Crusher playfully thwacking Ian across the head. "If Crusher's not careful Ian won't see his 29th birthday." "I'm sure it'll take more than Crusher's fist to kill Ian. I have to ask Kai. Has Monica had any children with him?" Kai swallowed thickly, remembering the day little Nevan Papov had been hit by a car. "I'm surprised Monica never told you. She and Ian had a little boy called Nevan. Carbon copy of his dad he was. Poor sod never got to see his 5th birthday. Some bastard was speeding down the road at 70mph and killed Nevan on contact." "I'm sorry to hear it. Poor Monica. She must've been horrified." "It's made worse by Nevan being frail. He was born three months early and didn't develop right. He had a gait in both legs but Ian was proud of him. Nevan didn't care what others thought about him. I do miss that plucky little bugger. After that Monica hasn't showed a want to give birth again."

Said young woman was laughing happily with the girls but her eyes grew sad whenever she saw a passing healthy child, remembering the disabled boy she'd brought into the world. Just after one pm everyone had arrived. Rüshi was busy beating up the boys when Maverick announced the first beybattle between Rin and a miniature Brooklyn. Ray was immediately fearful but Mathilda assured him that the boy did not possess Zeus. The fight was fierce and Rin came out on top. "Well done Rin, well done Rin. Marvellous display of speed and finesse. Next up is Gou Hiwatari and Makoto Granger." Kai felt his heart skip a beat and Tyson's did the same. They both knew a fierce rivalry was about to begin. Gou was half way to the dish when Hiro grabbed his arm and pulled him away. "Dad what are you doing?" "Protecting you. That's very sly of you Maverick. Done your research have you?" "Come now these battles were arranged at random." Hiro faked a sneeze and glared at the chairman. "I'm sorry Maverick but I seem to be very allergic to bullshit." "Hiro, let him go." Kai stepped forward to quell the argument before Hiro ended up hurting somebody.

Tyson had a hand on Makoto's shoulder, waiting to see what Kai would do. Hiro was not at all impressed to see Kai rising to Maverick's defence. "Kai?" "Let Gou fight. It's inevitable no matter how we try to avoid it. Sooner or later they would've fought for the title anyway. However I am not defending that self-centred prick who calls himself a chairman. All battles are decided randomly unless the rules say otherwise. Go on son. Show that dragon who's boss." "You got it papa. I'll be okay dad. I promise." Kai gave Lenin a look that he understood, having Kunimi and Kazuto stand by just in case. Makoto received a slap on the back from Tyson, heading right for the dish. Nobody knew what to expect from the youngsters as they stared each other down. Kai's eyes were glued to Dranzer as she swerved and dashed. Dragoon could hardly keep up. But Makoto was just like his father. He refused to give in, sending Dragoon in for the final blow. "Phoenix Flower Bomb!" The dish was hit by an almighty bomb of sacred fire as Dranzer screeched above it. Once the fire was doused, Dragoon could be seen defeated.

Makoto cursed himself for losing but Tyson was quick to console the boy. Even Dragoon, despite being sore from his loss, praised his young master for doing so well. "Don't worry son. You'll beat him someday. I think it's time I passed this down to you now." Tyson removed the cap he wore and set it firmly on Makoto's head but it was a tad too big. "You'll grow into it." "But dad…this is your favourite hat." "Now it belongs to you. When we get home, we'll train like crazy so that next time, Gou bites the dust." Kai found himself smiling at the bond Tyson shared with Makoto as they high fived and hugged. He approached them with Gou at his side. "Tyson. You've done a fine job raising this kid." All eyes were drawn towards the tense moment as Tyson stood to face Kai. "Thanks Kai. You've not done too bad yourself. I don't think it'll be long before this young man will be leading his own team to victory." Tyson grinned a cheesy grin and scratched the back of his head. Nobody expected Kai to raise a hand. At first Tyson thought Kai was going to belt him across the face but the pale hand stopped between him and its owner. "Kai?" "I'd like your son to be part of that team, Tyson."

Not one person could believe what was happening. Tyson took Kai's hand firmly in his own only to be pulled into a hug. As expected, Hiro was seething and his face showed it. "What the hell are you doing Kai?!" "That's enough Hiro. Tyson's not the same egotistical prat we used to know. The years have changed him. I haven't forgotten the pain he caused me. But eleven years have gone by and Tyson has admitted he was wrong. I think it's time he was forgiven." Hiro moved to pull Kai away from Tyson but Lenin stood in his way with Kunimi and Kazuto. "You're making a big mistake Kai! You'll only get hurt again some months down the line!" "Hiro have you not learnt by now that I'm the one who wears the trousers? If I say Tyson is forgiven for his behaviour then it's final. I'm not soft enough to just let him waltz around the place. My forgiveness comes at the price of a trial. I'm fairly sure Tyson expected this. After all, my past has been filled with mistrust and pain. I have no doubt that he'll pull through. You can stand down, Lenin. But thank you." Lenin gave a brisk nod before turning to Makoto.

Something about the boy was bothering him. And it wasn't the fact his mother no longer breathed air. Tyson was rather concerned when Lenin got closer to Makoto, stepping in to protect his son. "Don't come any closer punk or I'll flatten you." 'Flatten me? Yeah we'll see how well that turns out for you Tyson.' "It's alright Tyson. Lenin won't hurt him." "But Kai…" "Stand aside Tyson. Something about Makoto has caught his attention." Makoto was shaking like a leaf, unable to hide his fear. _("Be careful Lenin. This boy possess power.") _'It's not the power I'm sensing. There's an aura about this child that feels so familiar. But why?' _("Because it's the same aura your parents left behind when they gave their lives to save you. Love, Lenin. Love.") _Lenin had no reason not to believe the graceful swan since he knew so little about his parents. Makoto closed his eyes when Lenin lifted a hand towards him. The last thing Kai expected to see was Lenin prodding Makoto's forehead with two fingers whilst smiling. Even Makoto was confused. "Huh? What's this for? And why haven't you said anything?" Kai stepped in to explain Lenin's actions on his behalf.

Makoto was more frightened of Kai than anybody else. "Listen up kid. Lenin hasn't spoken a word because he can't. His vocal chords were cut beyond repair when he was a boy. Lenin prodding your head like that is a sign that he trusts you and sees you as a friend. So far he's done the same to all the kids in my family and a few at the school I run for abused people. Lenin's trust is hard to earn I'll say that much. There's a reason he's open with you so quickly. And I'll wager it's something we can't sense. Lenin's a psychic, Makoto. All I can tell you is that he has a special ability that allows him to sense danger. Normally it only triggers if a child needs help. You've got a good friend in Lenin believe me boy." "Um okay. So that's why he has a scar on his neck?" "Yep. Ugh Rüshi's picking on the boys again. That girl is a menace." Kai departed to aid Leon in distracting Rüshi away from being a bully. Her target had been a little Steven junior. Tyson was happier than ever now that Kai was giving him a second chance. He was sure that Gou and Makoto would be best friends, and ultimate rivals.

As the reunion went on all the kids showed their true colours. Aio and Ico were of course the biggest bullies you could ever meet but they were only having fun with the smaller boys. Kai had noticed that the Saint Shields were nowhere to be seen. He figured they were too busy to attend a social gathering. Half an hour before the reunion was to end Kai made a short speech. "Alright everyone calm yourselves. I stand before you now to ask a favour. Two in fact. As most of you are aware I run a school for abused folk that is doing very well for itself. The first favour I would like to ask is that you kindly stop by for a visit. The reason for my request is that some of the younger residents who have no families of their own wish to have a happy life. I've known all of you for a very long time now and you're all wonderful people. If anybody has a spare room or two, I beg of you to give at least one child a home. The second favour I have to ask runs along the line of teaching so those of you who do not wish to be tortured I suggest you run away now. It just so happens that a few of the staff have decided to drop the bombshell on me that they've got a baby in the oven again."

Kai directed his displeased tone at Spencer, Laika and Hilary. They all chuckled nervously, their cheeks turning a shade of red. "If anybody has some free time I would be most grateful. I understand you all have your own lives and families but I can pay generously." Kai noticed that Lee was looking extremely hopeful so he decided to make an example of Ray's brother in law. "Now, now Lee don't get too excited. Does anybody have any questions?" Typically Ming-Ming raised a hand and Kai grimaced. "Yes Ming-Ming?" "What subjects need covering? And how long would we be working for?" "Your work period will be to cover maternity leave unless your subject is sport. I will not allow Hilary to be prancing around during pregnancy. The remaining two areas are Health and Safety, Spencer's position will be open fairly soon. And I believe Laika teaches something to do with art." "Statistics you nitwit!" "My apologies. Any volunteers?" Obviously Lee's hand shot up but Kai ignored him for a moment. "Nobody? Well I understand if you can't help out, being busy and all."

Kai was just about to step away when somebody whistled at him from the door. It just so happened that Serenity's side of the family had arrived just in the nick of time. "Sorry we're late. Bloody traffic jams all the way here to kingdom come." "Uncle Valken!" "Kai you spiky little weasel! Look at you. Thirty two already." "Not quite." "Come on you lot get a move on! Your cousin needs help!" "Now I see where Ilyana gets it from." It made Kai happier to see the younger generation all grown up, Uragaan especially. At the age of sixteen he was already Kai's height and very muscular. "Cousin Kai!" "Uragaan! Damn it kid shrink already. You're putting me to shame." "You love me really." "You're damn right I do you little fuzz ball." Kai's childish behaviour was alien to those who hadn't been living with him the past ten years as he had a mock fight with Gatrie and Ilyana's little brother. Brooklyn almost got yanked into the brawl when he attempted to distract Kai. "If you're done trying to kill me, I can take the statistics position and Mathilda is happy to cover Health and Safety. We're also perfectly happy to stay too. But we'll live in our own place nearby." "Wonderful! Get back here Reynard!"

Luckily the reunion ended on a high note and everyone was happy. It turned out that Brooklyn and Mathilda had been planning to move to Russia for a while. Dominic their son was called. Lee had been given a permanent position behind closed doors as a second sports teacher. Tsuki's daughter Khari would be covering for Hilary. She was now a fine woman aged twenty nine with no children to care for. Even Lee had stayed single. Sadly Kai had to sort some things out at the school before he could rest easy. Rick and Oliver went with him so they could meet some of the family wanting youngsters. Kai was happy to see two children being chosen, one boy and one girl. Two guesses who picked the girl. Semyon was there to fill out the papers for the kids to be adopted. After that he helped Kai with his work to get it done faster. The mansion was a welcome sight just after seven pm and Kai couldn't wait to go to bed. Sleep, that's all Kai wanted. The day had been longer than expected for everyone. Hiro sat watching Kai as the tired principal slept the evening away. 'You did well.'

* * *

What's going on now? Tyson's back and that can only mean trouble. The plot will thicken more later. Can anybody guess what will happen?


	7. Chapter 7

Birthday time! And other stuff I can't remember to save my life.

Getting bored, so I'll stop talking now.

* * *

Chapter 7

Still Figuring Out

Three nights later the day finally arrived. Kai was woken by hyperactive kids on the morning of his birthday and wedding anniversary. He grumbled and groaned, wanting to go back to sleep. Kai eventually dragged himself out of bed just to shut the kids up. Upon arriving downstairs he was greeted by Hiro's open arms. "You look tired. Trouble sleeping?" "Sable as usual." "Kai I've told you a dozen times to wake me up if you need to sleep. Come on sit down. Today you're going to put your feet up and relax. Forget the school because I booked you the day off." "Hiro you shouldn't have. Hiro, we need to talk." "What about? Are you feeling okay?" Kai started to play with a stray strand of Hiro's hair to try and ease his nerves. To stop Kai fiddling, Hiro took his hands gently. "C'mon Kai. We've been married for ten years now. You can talk to me about anything." "Well I was thinking about having the snip." "You mean…" Kai let out a sigh, snuggling closer to Hiro's shoulder. "Hiro we already decided that six kids are enough for us."

"Is it even possible?" "We'll soon see. I'm going for a scan soon. I just don't want our sex life to change." Hiro strained to hear the last few words leaving Kai's lips as they were whispered. The conversation was denied further action when the kids entered the family room. They could all tell Kai hadn't gotten much sleep lately. Hiro vanished upon hearing the quadruplets screaming. He meant what he'd said about Kai relaxing for the day. Before anybody else could arrive, Gou and Rika gave Kai his first birthday present from them. They grew worried when Kai started to shake, signalling for them to get closer to him. "Papa what's wrong?" Kai's answer came in the form of a hug, swiftly pulling Gou and Rika into his arms. Everyone else arrived to find Kai weeping into the shoulders of his two eldest born kids. "Hey what's going? Have you just upset your papa?" "We don't know Uncle Max. He just started crying when he opened our present." Max looked at the stated gift and he understood why Kai was crying.

Inside the velvet lined box was a pendant necklace in the shape of a heart with words engraved on it. The necklace itself was the finest silver whilst the words were made of gold. 'Best papa in the world. He sure is.' "Don't worry you guys. He's just happy." "So we're not in trouble?" "No. Wait a sec. This is a locket." Kai calmed down enough to hear Max's discovery, opening the heart with careful fingers. If Kai thought his eyes would stay dry he was wrong. The heart shaped locket contained pictures. The first one was of Dante and Virgil on the only day they'd ever gotten along. Next was an image of Gou on his fifth birthday pulling Dante's hair out. Rika was the third pictures' master and the last one was a family photo that had been taken not long after the quadruplets were born. The camera had apparently been sensitive enough to capture a ghost in the image. Virgil's ghost. Like everyone else he was smiling. A faint chill told Kai that Virgil was in the room with them but he didn't want to be seen. "Every year you do this to me. The three of ya." "Because we love you dad. I told you not to give it to him until I got here." "You were too slow bro."

Dante grabbed his siblings in a playful headlock seconds before Kai yanked them all down into a cuddle. Hiro returned holding Sable whilst three butlers had the other three. "Alright what happened? I hope you didn't make Kai open the floodgates again." "You know it pops." "Typical. Next year I suggest you try something less tear evoking. It's cold in here." "That's Virgil for you." Kai tried to steady his voice when speaking about the young man who had lost his life to mysterious causes. Even now it wounded Kai to think of Virgil. "At least he's not missing your 32nd birthday. And I'll dare say his ghost has been keeping an irritably close watch over me for ten years. He should know I'd never seek to hurt you. Now dry your eyes you sentimental bucket. We haven't even had breakfast yet and you're crying." Kai grinned and Hiro knew he was going to pull a sly remark. "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to." "I'll get you for that one mark my words." "You would cry too if it happened to you." The look on Hiro's face was priceless. Kai always drove him crazy on this day every year.

As the day went on Kai received more birthday gifts. Although Aio and Ico's present was a cup with the words 'Greatest Big Brother' on it Kai still cried. Hiro already missed the old Kai he used to know. Kai's muscles tensed as little Sonya approached him, Timmy at her side. She was holding a smallish box out to him. Semyon gave Kai a look that told him to be nice and accept Sonya's gift. Despite being blind, Sonya always knew when Kai was angry at her in particular. Inside the box was a long white scarf just like the one Kai used to wear years ago only this one was fluffy to keep out the biting cold. Kai turned to Sonya and she stepped back a little. Timmy refused to let Kai near Sonya, growling dangerously at him. At first Sonya feared that Kai didn't like the scarf she picked out for him but his anger dissipated to a simmer. "Quit shaking I'm not angry with you kid. I've been meaning to get a new scarf for a while now. Thank you." Sonya blinked, looking up to where she estimated Kai's face to be. "Y…You like it?" "I'd go so far as to say it's better than the one I used to have at your age. Though I've no idea what possessed you to get it. Nonetheless I'm grateful."

Semyon counted this as Kai's first step to seeing Sonya as family. He even allowed the child to hug him even if he was a little reluctant. 'All Sonya wants is to be accepted by Kai. He's slowly opening up to her. If Kai knew I picked that scarf he'd go mental.' Sonya distracted Semyon from his thoughts by pouncing on him. She too was happy that Kai had been nice to her for once. But Sonya knew better than to stay near him for too long. Khari sat away from the family group, feeling out of place. Lee noticed this so he moved to keep her company. Both Ray and Mariah knew that Lee was developing feelings for the young woman who would be living with them for a while. Gatrie would also be staying since Kai gave him a security guard job at the school. Uragaan and Fievel's youngest boys were taking some time away from home since they saw Kai and Serenity so little. After a few more hours of gift giving the atmosphere calmed down but Kai had been dragged away by Ian for a quiet chat. The young snake master seemed rather troubled and Kai's keen eyes spotted the signs of Ian's unease.

Ian hadn't been the same after his son died. Like Monica, he was wounded to see all the lively children running around. Kai only wished there was something he could've done to save Nevan. "You're nervous Ian. What's the matter." "Well Kai I've been thinking about this for a while now but I'm not really sure how Monica's going to take it. It's true I've been detached since Nevan passed away…" "It's understandable given how much you both cared for the boy. What's been on your mind?" "Adopting one of the boys at the school." Kai apparently wasn't expecting those words to come from Ian, especially since Nevan's birthday was coming up. Kai's surprise was clear as he had to sit down and ask Ian to repeat himself. "Did I just hear you right Ian? Run that by me once more." "I told you I've been thinking about adopting one of the boys at the school. I mean no disrespect to my little boy. I'm sure he'd understand that I just want a second chance at being a father. And Monica flat down refuses to give me a blood heir." "Yes I think Nevan will see it your way. But Monica won't. Remember how Arcana was after Sebastian sr. died?" "Yeah all too well." "This is just more serious. Monica's frightened of bringing another deformed child into existence and losing it again."

Kai was right again, Ian knew it. Sometimes he and Monica would fight about having another child and on occasion it was so bad Ian almost filed for a divorce. "Leaving her won't solve anything Ian. Monica loves you with all her heart. She's just scared. Hiro doesn't know this but two years ago I had a miscarriage due to being stressed at work." "Kai why didn't you tell us?" "At first I wasn't so certain. Only Spencer knew about the baby. It was only a few months old when that incident happened." "Incident?" Ian wasn't sure he remember what Kai was pointing towards with the word incident. Then it hit him. Kai and Hiro had fought about something insignificant. After that Kai had locked himself in his office and refused to come out for weeks. "That really caught us off guard. We thought you and Hiro would never fight." "Neither did I. Anyway, after losing that baby I was petrified when Hiro asked if we could try for another. You should try talking to Monica about this first."

Five days later Ezra celebrated his twelfth birthday with the family. A day later almost everyone was back at work. Hilary was the only real exception for now. Laika was restricted to sitting down when teaching since she was now seven months with child. Mathilda was learning about the student's she'd be teaching in Spencer's lessons. The boys drove Mathilda crazy just like they used to with Spencer but he now took it on the chin. Having taught most of the boys for ten years Spencer had bonded with them. His adult class was almost like a second family to him. At first break Kai was going for the scan he'd told Hiro about. It would be Max conducting the test as Spencer was in desperate need of rest. They were on their way to the medical wing when Semyon stopped them. "Dad what's going on?" "Kai before you even think about that operation there's something I need to tell you." "Slow down old man. I don't follow." Semyon took a moment to catch his breath before continuing. "Like the rest of us, Khari went through an entrance medical exam. I just got the results back and I'm extremely concerned." "Is she sick?" "Khari has no womb."

Kai and Max looked at each other in disbelief. If Semyon was telling the truth, Khari was one of the rarest cases known to man. "Wait a minute. How can somebody be born without a womb?" "I'm not entirely sure. I doubt Tsuki knows about this but I plan to tell her." "So you're stopping me because?" "You no longer want that womb do you?" Kai thought for a moment. It was true that he didn't want anymore children. Bringing six into the world was enough. But Khari would never get to know the joy having children could bring to her if she'd been robbed of such a vital body part during creation. "Wouldn't Tsuki be a closer match?" "There's little chance of Tsuki surviving the surgery if she did give Khari her womb. You're younger, stronger and tied to her by blood. You even have the same blood types." "How's Khari taking this?" "Not well. Her last few relationships have ended because she couldn't give her lover a child. Now Lee's picking up an interest in Khari and she's scared of what he'd think if he knew." A determined look settled onto Kai's face as he went to speak with Khari.

After talking about the situation with both Khari and Hiro, Kai decided to give his womb to her. But this now meant they needed another replacement teacher for sports. Lee being the gentleman he was, offered to cover for Khari while she would be tied to a bed. He wasn't informed about the nature of the operation however. Spencer was denied access to the surgery due to his condition. Instead, he informed Tsuki of the situation. Like any mother, Tsuki was worried about Khari, leaving home immediately to visit her daughter. Uragaan sat waiting for hours on end to see his sister. Just after midday he was given clearance. Kai and Khari were both still under the anaesthetic when Uragaan walked in. "Is Khari going to be okay?" Uragaan's question was directed at Semyon since he was the one tending to Khari. "I think so. Have you been told what the operation was for?" "No uncle. Can you tell me?" "Being family you have the right to know. Khari was born without a womb. It's a rare condition to have. Kai no longer wants the ability to have kids so he's given his womb to Khari." "Uncle I don't understand." "That's right. You were never told. Sit down lad. I'll give you the full truth."

As promised, Semyon spent the next half hour telling Uragaan of the horrors that he, Kai and the boys Kai grew up with had to go through as lads. Suffice to say the tale horrified Uragaan but he was proud of his cousin for doing such a generous thing for Khari. Lee stopped by briefly with some flowers for his love interest, setting them on the table next to her. Khari woke up minutes after Lee left feeling sore. Uragaan was quick to stop her from sitting up. "Take it easy Khari. You need to rest." "Little brother? Why are you here?" "I wanted to see if you were okay. Uncle Semyon told me what the operation would do for you." "Kai he…he didn't have to but…he did." Uragaan opened his mouth to speak but a hoarse voice cut him off. "That's what family is for. They look out for you." Kai wore a tired smile on his face and gave Khari the thumbs up. "In a few months you should start developing your own eggs. Better somebody makes use of the organ I don't want anymore than to just throw it away." "I owe you so much. Where'd these flowers come from?" "Lee dropped by earlier."

Out in the corridors, Sonya was trying to find somebody she knew. Timmy made sure she didn't fall down any stairs, allowing the girl to lean on his strong back for support. He became distracted by the smell of food so suddenly that Sonya walked into somebody that wasn't looking where they were going. Timmy growled at the boy but Sonya silenced him. "Who's there?" The young man Sonya bumped into tried to back away but her hand brushed his short sleeved jacket. He was about her age with long hazelnut coloured hair and eyes of red jasper. His face was littered with scars from punishment dealt years ago. Despite the scars the boy was quite adorable. He knew who Sonya was from rumours flying around the school about a girl with a Labrador guide dog. Upon receiving no answer from the boy Sonya grew nervous, thinking he was going to cause her harm. When the boy did speak, he stammered a little. "I-I-I'm sorry Miss. I'll be on my way now. I bid you good day." "Wait." The boy froze the very moment Sonya's hand gripped his arm. Something about the boy made Sonya feel safe. Timmy yawned and scratched his ear out of boredom.

"Please don't leave me here." Sonya clung to the boy like a leech, not daring to let go of him. Her actions frightened the young man but he couldn't get free. In the end he accepted that Sonya was just as frightened of being alone, gently touching one of her pale hands. They seemed nervous of each other in their own way. It was Sonya who eventually broke the silence. "I'm Sonya. What's your name?" "T-T-Tyler. Are you lost Sonya?" "Sort of. I got lonely waiting for my papa to come back so I tried to find somebody I know. But Timmy and I got lost now we don't know where we are." "It's okay, don't cry." Sonya flinched when Tyler wiped away the tears he could see without moving her glasses. Sonya figured that Timmy trusted Tyler since he was so quiet. But in truth, her loyal companion had run off to get help. Sonya panicked upon no longer feeling Timmy's rein in her hand. "Timmy where are you?!" Sonya's body began to shake so much, Tyler could feel her trembling in his arms. Knowing that she wasn't alone calmed Sonya a little bit. They stood in silence until Timmy returned with Lenin.

Semyon had apparently been worried about Sonya and sent Lenin to find her. Lenin had no reason to believe that Tyler had harmed Sonya regardless of Timmy's growling. "Timmy! Bad dog! You're not supposed to leave my side." Tyler on the other hand knew exactly who Lenin was and tried to run away but he was caught in a flash. Looking to his left, Lenin caught a glimpse of somebody. His heart almost stopped dead. Rikku had changed drastically over the months. Gone was the shy boy Lenin had protected. Rikku's eyes were hard against Lenin's chestnut orbs, a twisted grin on his face. "Hello Lenin. Lovely to see you again dear brother. After you tossed me aside for that punk." Before Lenin could rise to the bait, Hayner showed up behind Rikku and lifted the boy off the ground. "This kid causing you grief Lenin?" Rikku squirmed almost violently, swinging his fists in every direction to try and break free but Hayner wasn't letting go of him any time soon. Lenin wasn't sure how to answer the question thrown at him. He hadn't seen Rikku in so long the only thing on his mind was pulling the enraged teen into his arms. In the end he signalled for Hayner to put Rikku down.

With his feet back on the concrete floor Rikku stalked away into the darkness leaving Lenin with a gaping hole in his heart. 'This must be how Rikku felt when he was deprived of me. It'll break Martin's heart to see what Rikku's become. All because of me. I should probably go and tell him.' Asking Hayner to escort Sonya to safety, Lenin made up his mind to give Martin the dreadful news. The ride home didn't take long and soon Lenin was outside the front door feeling like a stranger. Martin's face lit up like a street lamp when he opened the door, informing Lenin that his girlfriend was in the sitting room. What Lenin didn't expect to see was a little boy no older than five or six holding the woman's hand. Martin knew immediately what was going through Lenin's head as he looked at the mother and child. "Come now Lenin don't think like that. You know I'd never replace you or Rikku. Sit down and I'll go put the kettle on." Lenin did the exact opposite, making his way to the front door. Martin was able to drag Lenin into the kitchen where he finally flipped, punching the table hard.

There wasn't much that could anger Lenin but being replaced set his blood boiling. The rage in Lenin's eyes bore deep into Martin's soul, both of them standing in silence. That was until Martin decided to break it. "I know this is sudden Lenin but I've only just found out for myself that Neera has a son. She was afraid that I'd be angry. Just like you are." Talking did little to soothe Lenin as he slumped into a seat, setting his helmet down on the table. "Judging by your silence Lenin I'm guessing the operation failed. It must've been quite a hard blow to you. I was looking forward to hearing you talk at last. How is Rikku? He hasn't answered any of my calls. I suppose it's to be expected after how we last parted." Lenin felt like a knife was plunged into heart at the mentioning of Rikku, his hand shaky as he wrote something down. Martin's fears were confirmed as his eyes rested upon the paper. "I see. This wasn't supposed to happen. It's not what either of us wanted." Martin put on a brave face when Neera walked into the room without her son. "Is everything alright Martin?" "Yes Neera. Lenin was just rather shocked that's all." Neera wasn't sure what to say when Lenin stood to leave.

Seeing how tall Lenin was made Neera somewhat fearful of him, watching as he put his helmet back on. "Lenin you just got here. Stay a while. For me." Lenin was having none of Martin's pleading, leaving a note on the table before he left. The words Martin read cut him deep. True he hadn't visited either Lenin or Rikku for a while but there was a reason. "Martin?" "Lenin's starting to think Rikku was right. That I was abandoning them when they were sent to that school. It's not true. I've been so busy with work I haven't had time to visit them." "Martin, you love those boys with every beat your heart makes. I know you do. They'll understand someday when they've got families of their own to care for. Why don't we go and visit them tomorrow and prove how much you still care?" "If you're sure it'll work. I don't trust Rikku to greet me kindly after what I've discovered. In truth, Lenin only came here to inform me that Rikku has darkened. Going there just gives him reason to hurt me." Neera pulled Martin into her arms and kissed him with hopes of easing his fears and worries.

The next morning all the birds sang a song of warning that drew Pell from his slumber. He'd agreed to wear hearing aids after being scolded by Dean for being stubborn. His therapy wasn't going wonderfully either. It was under debate if Pell could be helped at all. Especially since the staff knew exactly how violent Pell could be. Bryan had been on the wrong end of Pell's fist more than once. After having a shower and brushing his teeth, Pell went to check on Elian. For safety and security reasons the blind boy had been given a room next to Pell's. With Elian awake and sorted he and Pell went to get the girls. The walk was silent between the boys, neither one wishing to say anything. Elian clung to Pell's arm when a few of the older male students jeered at him. Pell had learnt to ignore the biting insults but Elian was still sensitive to what people thought about him. It was Kira who opened the door to her and Nolita's room. Being blind didn't seem to bother her at all, locating Pell by scent. Kira could still speak a little but never had a reason to do so. Unless of course she and Pell were alone. Nolita was just waking up when Pell and Elian stepped into the room.

By now she was used to the boys being around her with nothing on. Sure it had taken a while to ignore Pell's eyes but he had no love interest with Nolita. Only Kira. And Elian only considered her to be a friend. There had been times when Nolita envied Kira for having Pell's undivided attention. He was strong, handsome and caring to the right people. In fact, the girls had fought over him more than once over recent weeks. Ten minutes later the quartet headed to the dinner hall for breakfast. Elian was confused when he couldn't sense Lenin's presence amongst all the others. "Pell, where's Lenin? Normally he's here to help us." Pell shrugged his shoulders and headed towards the counter with Kira latched onto his arm, leaving Elian and Nolita to hold each other in an act of comfort. They were rescued by Hayner before anybody could harass them. He explained that Lenin wasn't in a people mood for reasons he didn't know and offered to help out in Lenin's place. Of course Pell wasn't amused to see a stranger by his friends but Elian calmed him. Hayner knew he'd have to be very careful.

Lenin on the other hand had locked himself in his room and refused to come out. Seeing Neera and her son yesterday had left a scar in his heart. He decided there and then that Martin no longer wanted him. Lenin didn't care to move when somebody knocked on his door. However the voice that followed made a shiver run down his spine. "Lenin are you in there? It's Martin. I know you're probably angry with me for not visiting you but I finally got a job. The hours are long so I haven't got much time to see you. Please let me in so we can be adults about this." 'Just go away and leave me alone you traitor. Rikku was right all along.' Unfortunately Martin wasn't giving in, knocking on the door again. He knew Lenin had little in the way of patience but getting on his nerves was asking for trouble. Martin's plan backfired as Lenin moved into the kitchen and slammed the door loud enough for him to hear. _('You shouldn't push him away Lenin. He loves you.') _'No he doesn't now leave me alone!' Kunimi wasn't sure how to take Lenin's attitude. He'd never yelled at her before. Asking Kazuto for help wouldn't work so Kunimi reached out to one specific bitbeast.

Kai was busy in his office as usual, signing reports and such when Dranzer contacted him. The pen hung millimetres above the paper as Kai listened to the loyal phoenix whispering in his ears. He groaned loudly and left the safety of his quarters to fetch Martin. By the time Kai arrived Martin was ready to give up. "Come on, we need to talk." "Kai?" "If you really do love Lenin then you'll follow me. He won't answer you in his current mood." With a sigh, Martin followed Kai down the halls. Kai's office was very quiet. Serenity and Veronica had insisted that the quadruplets stayed home for the day so Kai could work in peace. "Tea?" "No thanks." "You've been distant from the boys. Is something wrong?" "Work hours. How long has Lenin been like that?" "All night I heard. Came back in quite a foul mood too I might add." Martin took the seat opposite Kai, his shoulders slumped lazily. "Lenin came to visit yesterday in regards to Rikku's attitude shift only to get more than he bargained for. Neera revealed to me yesterday that she had a son. Lenin hasn't taken it well."

By now, Kai understood how Lenin must be feeling. Deprived of Martin's company for so long then finding out his future step mother-in-law already had a child must've been a pretty crippling blow. "I'm afraid there's little any of us can do to help you Martin. My advice to you is leave Lenin be. He'll come around in time." "That's what Neera said. But I fear he never will. I'm a horrid father." "I disagree. You admitted Lenin and Rikku to my school because you loved them. If my children disowned me I'd be off the nearest 100ft cliff. They're my entire world and losing them would destroy my life." "But if I stay away, I'll only be reinforcing his state of mind." "Forcing your company onto him won't help either. I suppose in this situation I can allow you to visit during school hours and watch him. That way he'll see that you do care. But it'll take time. I can't guarantee that this will work. I'll also have words with your boss about these hectic working hours and stress to them that it's causing problems within the family." Martin wanted to believe he was dreaming when Kai's arms wrapped themselves around him. He was truly grateful that Kai understood.

Meanwhile in the gym, Lenin was distracting himself from thinking of Martin. He was on the abdomen board when Hayner arrived with Pell's troupe. Before Lenin could leave, Elian grabbed his waist. "Lenin are you okay? We didn't see you at breakfast." 'You wouldn't understand kid. You've never been ditched by someone who you had foolishly trusted.' The cogs of Elian's mind spun with confusion when Lenin gently moved him aside. Even Pell, who trusted Lenin so little, knew something was very wrong. He even tried to bribe a violent reaction out of Lenin just to be noticed but his attempt failed. Hayner advised the group to give Lenin some space. He figured the tall teen was just stressed out. With nothing better to do, Lenin went outside to run some laps. Leon watched from a window as the bluenette let off some steam, worried about the little amount of clothes Lenin wore. 'Sooner or later Lenin's going to hurt himself but there isn't much I can do to help him. Kai had better come up with something soon otherwise Kirill will lose Lenin again.' Leon moved off in silence to find Spencer.

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Any thoughts on all the new characters and their personalities? I'm always happy to get opinions.


	8. Chapter 8

Here we are, chapter eight. I'll just let you guys read and find out what happens. No spoilers.

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Chapter 8

Be Mine

Days went by and soon it was October. Laika was due to give birth any day so Brooklyn had taken over her class. Khari was back on her feet by September and Lee couldn't be happier. Uragaan, Reynard and Asra had gone home after spending a month at the mansion. Tsuki had not been too pleased to learn that Uragaan had lost his virginity to one of the school girls. Kai promised to keep a closer eye on the boy next time, shocked at the discovery himself. Lenin had all but closed himself off to the world but still attended his classes and Martin watched from outside the rooms he studied in. It was October 19th and snow had been falling since early morning. The weather matched Lenin's mood as he got ready for the day. He wasn't blind to Martin's watchful eyes on a daily basis. Today would likely be no different. To Lenin's surprise, Nolita was outside his door looking upset. Over the months, communicating with the blind/mute girl had become a little easier for him. Instead of pushing Nolita away, Lenin led her into his room.

He figured she and Kira had fought over Pell again. All Nolita wanted was someone of her own to hold but very few boys showed an interest in her. It wasn't hard for Lenin to notice the tears Nolita was holding back, urging the distressed young woman to let them out by pulling her close. It had taken Nolita quite a while to get used to Lenin. Learning he was tall scared her and at first she refused to go near him. Like Kira, Nolita had learnt to identify people by scent. Sometimes it wasn't easy if two people wore the same aftershave or perfume but there was always a subtle difference. Of course identifying a person had come with the difficulty of also learning the gender of said character. Lenin had discovered very little about Nolita and what she'd been through but he knew one thing. She was brave. The bullies didn't bother her anymore because Nolita had always shunned them back. She also lacked in the breast department. At least, that's what everyone believed because Nolita rarely never had her chest uncovered around others.

A feeling of pity welled up inside Lenin as he watched Nolita crying into his shirt, figuring he'd need to change it once the girl was done. He stroked her long hair tenderly and slowly swayed back and forth in hopes of easing Nolita's hurting. She didn't cry for long, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket. Lenin was confused upon seeing Nolita fumble with the big buttons. He got a slapped hand when he tried to help. Lenin wasn't sure how to take the punishment given. But then he realised that Nolita wasn't like all the other girls he knew. They were more than happy to let him strip them but Nolita was innocent in his eyes, blind to the ways of love. Lenin's patience was soon rewarded and his eyes almost flew out of his skull. Underneath Nolita's jacket rested a large pair of breasts, bigger than any he'd seen so far. They had to be at least a G-cup in size. Lenin knew better than to think that Nolita was inviting him to touch her but the blush on Nolita's cheeks was telling him otherwise. Lenin stopped Nolita gently when she tried to remove her shirt after slipping the jacket off. This action seemed to upset Nolita a little. 'This isn't like Nolita. Why is she doing this to herself?'

No matter how he tried, Lenin couldn't find an answer to the question he'd asked himself. He looked down at Nolita when her hand touched his cheek. There was something unfamiliar in Nolita's blind eyes that he'd never seen before. Their hazelnut hue shone brightly, drawing Lenin closer by the second. Resisting was futile since Nolita wouldn't allow Lenin to turn his face away. She wanted him to want her. He was the only man who allowed her to get close to them. Lenin pushed Kunimi's nagging voice out of his mind as he moved in for the kill. Nolita's heart raced as she could feel Lenin getting closer to her. She teased him a little, pulling away when his lips were merely brushing against her own. He didn't seem to mind this, used to it from a few other sassy ladies he'd boned during his time at the school. To tease Lenin further, Nolita allowed him to kiss her but pulled back before he could deepen the affection. Lenin soon decided he'd had enough of being toyed with, placing a hand on the back of Nolita's head and tensed his arm so she couldn't move it.

It became clear that Nolita had been a little nervous of allowing Lenin to go all the way. Her trembling made that clear. Feeling Nolita quaking in his arms urged Lenin to take it slowly so not to scare her further, relaxing his tensed arm but kept the hand in place. Little by little, Nolita became more confident about the situation. She shuffled closer and wrapped her arms around Lenin's arched neck, allowing him the freedom to caress her curves. However, his fingers merely brushed Nolita's breasts. This was because of being unsure of how far Nolita wanted to go. A part of Lenin secretly hoped she would want to go all the way as his loins screamed for her. They broke for air momentarily, gazing at each other. Nolita could feel Lenin's eyes staring into hers, wondering what he could be thinking right about now. He knew very little about her and it worked both ways. With Lenin being unable to talk, Nolita hadn't discovered much about him but they seemed to share a strange connection. Whether it was a mute person thing Nolita could not say. On the subject of knowing things, Nolita wasn't oblivious to Lenin's yearning. In fact, his hardened manhood was pressing against Nolita's leg.

Lenin soon realised this and moved to pull away but Nolita stopped him, a small but visible smile on her face. Feeling the pulsation of his loins had awoken her inner lust. Lenin sat completely still as one of Nolita's hands slowly made its way to his crotch, almost clumsily. Thoughts raced through Nolita's mind as she finally found the throbbing rod of flesh, stroking it gently. How would the pulsing feel on the inside? Will I like it? And other musings along those lines continued to run free in the pinkette's mind. She heard Lenin gasp a little after a few seconds of her caressing him. Slowly and gingerly, he moved a hand between Nolita's legs. For a moment she was unsure about letting him touch her that way, gripping his fingers tightly. Lenin understood Nolita's fear. He'd been like that when he was first given attention of a flirtatious nature. To try and calm Nolita, Lenin pressed his lips gently to hers. He would let her set the pace of future actions from here onwards. Once again Kunimi tried to dissuade Lenin from claiming Nolita but the worried swan was forced back.

After a few minutes, Nolita moved her hand to Lenin's belt, unbuckling it with little difficulty. Next to be undone was Lenin's trousers, shortly followed by his boxers. The pace had quickened but Lenin did nothing to slow it down. Nolita grew bold, taking Lenin's hand that had previously been snaking towards her crotch, moving it there of her own accord. Lenin took that as a sign of Nolita wanting him to touch her and he did so with gentle fingers. The feeling that came with being stroked in such a delicate place felt somewhat familiar to Nolita. She gripped Lenin's arm and pressed her lips together. Lenin was unsure if he should continue given how Nolita reacted but she wanted him to carry on, stroking his muscular arm, tracing the bulking biceps with her slender fingers. Lenin shifted some of Nolita's hair aside so he could reach her slim neck, running his tongue over the soft tanned flesh. With the kiss came new thrills and more strokes giving blissful pleasure. Lenin took care not to leave any bruises on Nolita in places that people would see. If Pell knew what was happening, or by the time he eventually found out, had happened, Lenin would be in a lot of trouble.

Now that Lenin had grasped at what was going through Nolita's mind, he allowed her to strip, helping where needed. The bra Nolita wore was just as beautiful as the breasts they supported. Lenin knew very few girls who wore underwire bras, Nolita being added to that short list. By this point Nolita was willing to do pretty much anything. She wasn't even the slightest bit shy knowing that Lenin could see her figure. Something about him gave Nolita courage. With every article of clothing gone from both bodies there was tension hanging thick in the air. Lenin pulled Nolita to lie down with him and she didn't fight. She soon took charge, clambering on top of Lenin with his guidance. He on the other hand rested his shoulders against the wall so that Nolita could kiss him if she desired to do so. Lying down wouldn't allow her such privileges. 'If we do start seeing each other I get the feeling Nolita will be the dominant one in bed. Or maybe she'll let me have my way on occasion. Bless her she can't find anything.' With a faint chuckle, Lenin guided Nolita to where she needed to be.

It took every ounce of Lenin's self-control not to thrust his hard shaft up into Nolita as she slowly slipped it into her entrance. Several feelings were portrayed just by Nolita's facial expression. First came pain followed by a hint of joy. Once Lenin's manhood had completely vanished into Nolita they both relaxed for a moment. In an attempt to spur Nolita into riding him, Lenin pulled her into a kiss more passionate than any other they'd recently shared. A memory suddenly entered Nolita's mind, one of the abuse she'd suffered. Lenin hadn't been told much about the suffering Nolita went through, only that she was fearful of being touched. From what he was seeing now, she had been a victim of sexual abuse. In Nolita's current state, touching her would do no good so Lenin waited for her to recover, sitting in place without moving. But deep down, Lenin wanted to hold Nolita tight and somehow let her know everything was alright. He himself had been raped on occasion at the Abbey. The humiliation inflicted took years to overcome. But Lenin had to wonder who had caused Nolita such hurt. She snapped back into reality when Lenin released her.

Lenin tried to make Nolita understand that he didn't want her to feel pressured into doing something she wasn't willing to do and that was why he'd pulled away. It wasn't hard to see how ashamed Nolita looked. In her eyes, she'd disappointed Lenin and feared he'd now lose interest. But she could not feel any form of anger coming from him. His touch was so gentle it felt like a soft breeze brushing against Nolita's skin. 'I'm not angry with you. I understand that it takes time to get over stuff like that. Nobody will stop me from being there when you need my help.' Lenin briefly felt Kunimi lingering in his mind before her presence faded. Nolita's eyes grew distant and Lenin finally figured out the reason behind the bond he shared with Nolita. It was because of Kunimi relaying their thoughts to each other. This also explained why Nolita had been able to make her way to Lenin's room without physical guidance. Kunimi had been the culprit all along. She was quick to scold Lenin as he thought about giving her to Nolita but he meant no wrong. Nolita began to shiver so Lenin helped her to get dressed.

After breakfast, Lenin made sure that Kira made up with Nolita before he left the group in Hayner's care. Kai was just feeding Kabuto when there was a knock at his door. He was mildly surprised to see Lenin waiting to be let in. "Finally come out of your shell have we? Come and sit down. I trust you're disturbing me for a reason Lenin? Not that I'm annoyed at all. We've all been very worried about you recently." Before sitting in the guest chair at Kai's desk, Lenin lifted a screaming Sable from her mosey basket and bounced the tot in his arms. Seeing Lenin cradle the fragile child was new to Kai. Up until now he'd only ever played with them in their bouncy chairs. To Kai's bewilderment Sable actually calmed down. Normally she only stopped screaming for Hiro. "I think she likes you. Sable only ever calms down for her father. Never anybody else. She'll be a daddy's girl. So what can I aid you with this morning Lenin?" With Sable resting securely in his lap, Lenin answered. _**"I want to know what Nolita went through before she came here." **_"I'm not authorised to give you that information Lenin. I'm sorry. Out of curiosity, why are you asking anyway?"

Lenin refrained from slamming his fist into the table. For one thing it would frighten the youngsters and Kai would not take kindly to violence from him. _**"I'm asking because I want to help her. She shouldn't have to suffer." **_"Lenin I want you to be truthful. Did you engage in sexual activities with Nolita?" Kai saw Lenin's face pale immediately and he figured the tall bluenette was fretting that he'd be in trouble. "I'll take that as a yes." _**"I did not force her! Nolita was fine up until we connected." **_Lenin relaxed as Kai sat down opposite him, pulling a file out of his desk draw. "Here. It's better you read for yourself than have me tell you. You're to tell nobody that you've seen this file. Strictly I'm not allowed to let students poke their noses in to such personal matters. But since you seem to care for Nolita I'm pushing that to one side." Lenin was horrified at what he read in Nolita's file. He closed his eyes, processing the little information he'd divulged. It was hard for him to swallow to say the least. "Hard to stomach isn't it? I know how you feel. I was disgusted too. How a father could do such things to his daughter I'll never know."

Lenin couldn't bring himself to read anymore, pushing the closed folder away. The look in his eyes told Kai that he wasn't going to abandon Nolita because of her past. "If you want my advice, there's not much I can give. Abuse like this takes time to get over. I should know. Similar things happened to me. Just be patient with her and you'll be fine. She must've felt bad, letting you down like that." _**"It wasn't Nolita's fault. She was scared of being hurt again. But should Nolita's father dare to tread here I will snap his neck." **_"If he does you have my word that he'll not get within sight of Nolita. We all have similar feelings towards him. Personally, we've never met the man. Run along now classes are about to start. Nolita trusts you Lenin. Otherwise she wouldn't have taken her clothes off. Shower her with affection whenever possible. That should help her see the real you. Where do you think you're going with my daughter?" The warning tone in Kai's voice stopped Lenin at the door. He'd completely forgotten that Sable was clutching at his shirt. Kai knew well that Lenin wouldn't harm the girl. With Sable back in her mosey basket, Lenin continued on his way to class. 'Great. Geography.'

Lenin showed little enthusiasm during his Geography lesson, gazing lazily at the board. The class was a mix of boys and girls of Lenin's age with Hiro as their teacher. Nobody dared mess with him after having a taste of his wrath. But Lenin had never seen or heard Hiro getting angry at the class. Hence why he didn't care about being scolded. "Is there something on your mind that's more important than learning, Lenin?" 'Yes as a matter of fact there is.' Lenin stared long and hard into Hiro's eyes. He wasn't the slightest bit intimidated by him. Lenin did notice Martin from the corner of his eye. "If you're going to behave like that you might as well get out. I've had just about enough of your attitude lately young man and I'll not put up with it any longer." Lenin didn't bother to think. He grabbed his stuff and walked out of the room. Martin took the chance to try and talk to him but he was shunned harshly. Lenin didn't have a destination in mind, soon finding himself in his dormitory. Kai stopped by and suggested to Lenin that he should take the rest of the day off.

As the days went by, Nolita became more relaxed around Lenin. He'd resumed his role as their guardian in order to try and help her recover. It was good timing too. Hayner seemed worried and distracted by something. Lyov being the friend he was; voiced his concern to Kai but Hayner wouldn't tell him anything. Not even Olette could persuade Hayner into talking. On the 27th of October all the students were gathered in the assembly hall. It was a Saturday so Kirill's band was performing as an end of the week treat. Hayner was edgier than usual. Lenin would glance at Nolita from his seat beside Elian. He wasn't taking part in the band today. He was too distracted with the pink haired girl to do anything else. Just after ten o'clock Salima walked into the hall, informing Kai that Hayner had a visitor. This of course made Kai worry, thinking that was why Hayner had been so distracted. Nonetheless he summoned Hayner from his seat beside Pence. The person visiting Hayner was a tall man with spiked up blonde hair and eyes grey like the clouds outside. He was packed with muscle and covered almost from head to toe in tattoos. Upon seeing the man Hayner backed up.

Lyov recognised Hayner's visitor, rushing down to defend his buddy. This in turn, distracted Lenin from keeping his eyes on Nolita. Seeing Hayner frightened half to death, Lenin followed up on Lyov's haste. Hayner had been a good friend to him so he felt a need to protect him. There was no love in the mans' eyes or voice when he finally spoke. "Hello Hayner. Nice to see you again little brother. This is rather cold of you. I come to see how you are and these scruffs block me." "Anybody would if they knew how you treated Hayner, Zell." Lenin mimicked the venom in Lyov's voice with his ever faithful eyes but the man Lyov named Zell was not affected. Lenin pieced together that Hayner had been put through hell because of the man before him. Kai picked up on the threat, stepping in to prevent a fight. "You've got some nerve stepping here Zell. Hayner made it very clear that he doesn't want to see you anymore. So I suggest you get packing before I have you removed by force." "You don't understand. Hayner's all I have left." "But you ignored that when you battered him black and blue!"

It was extremely rare for Kai to become aggressive at a visitor. All eyes turned to the flared up argument and the music stopped. Kirill set his guitar down and moved to stand beside Kai. "This is my last warning Zell. Stay away from Hayner. Now get the hell off of my property." "So I'm not allowed to make amends for my ways?" "How can I be sure you won't hurt Hayner again? You've got a long history of violence I'm not willing to ignore." "I have a family now. A wife and son." Kai wasn't convinced, standing in the way when Zell put a foot forward. "I could flatten you easily so don't push your luck." "You're not getting anywhere near that boy. He's finally happy so I won't let you ruin what he's worked so hard to achieve. Leave now while you still have the option to do it willingly." Zell growled, balling his fists tightly. Kirill saw the signs, shoving Kai out of the way to shield him from the oncoming punch only to be pushed aside by Lenin who grabbed the burly blonde in a ridiculously strong headlock. 'Nobody shows aggression in front of the headmaster while I'm around. It's time I made that clear.' Zell appeared to be struggling against Lenin, failing to remove the arm around his neck.

There was a look of pure malice in Lenin's eyes as he held Zell, slowly strangling him to death. He was in big brother mode and there was little that could stop him. "Let him go, Lenin. That's enough. I'll have Gatrie remove him from the building." Kai's orders fell on deaf ears as Lenin's grip grew tighter still. Kirill acted rashly, seizing Lenin's lips in hopes of stunning him into releasing the choking man. Kirill's plan worked much to his surprise but he was disappointed that Lenin did not kiss back. True to his word, Kai called for his beefy cousin to escort Zell off the premises. Kirill pulled away from Lenin to see he'd reverted back to his usual self but his eyes were questioning. "You've clearly forgotten how I feel about you, Lenin. Why didn't you let him go when Kai told you to?" 'He was growing violent. I couldn't let him hurt you or your brother. I'm sorry if it scared you to see that side of me. I'll show restraint from now on.' Lenin became distracted by a hand on his shoulder, turning to see Hayner looking nervous. "Lenin I…I just wanted to say thanks. You didn't have to protect me. But you did."

Hayner relaxed upon feeling Lenin's hand half crushing his shoulder. It made him happy to know he had protective friends like Lenin and Lyov. With everything calm again, Kirill returned to the stage. Kai on the other hand was furious with Lenin for disobeying him. "You deliberately disobeyed me Lenin. Why did you not release him when told?" _**"I thought you of all people would understand. You'd do anything to protect your friends and family correct?" **_"You're not wrong." _**"Back at the Abbey Rikku was bullied often. And I was trained to kill a grown man with my bare hands. If anybody dared to even breathe down Rikku's neck they answered to me and rather often those boys ended up dead. I had no intention to kill them, just to scare the bastards. But there was very little that could stop me doing the inevitable. I did not ignore you intentionally. It was merely because of my past catching up to me again. For that I'm sorry and from this day on I will do my best to show restraint." **_"Alright Lenin. I'll have a restraining order put against Zell so he'll never be able to come near Hayner so long as he stays within these walls. Then again. I could ban him from seeing Hayner altogether."

Kai made a mental note of Lenin's behaviour, leaving to make the call that would protect Hayner for good. Through this action, Kai showed how much he cared about the students urging Pell to see him in a different light. But he was now more nervous of Lenin after his display of reckless anger. Would he harm Elian or the girls? Can he even be trusted? Lenin was sure thoughts along those lines were zipping away in Pell's mind. It was made worse by Pell already being mistrustful of Lenin to begin with. Their eyes clashed for a few minutes and it was no real surprise that Lenin saw hatred in Pell's deep crimson orbs. Many times before going to sleep at night, Lenin hoped there was a way to earn Pell's trust. Dean had earned it somehow. Something had scarred the protective brunette so badly he wouldn't open up to anybody who wanted to help him. 'How can I make you see Pell? I just want to aid you in getting over what happened to turn you into the mistrustful person you've become. Staying this way will only cause your friends pain.' Kirill worried when Lenin left the hall looking gloomy.

After another hour the mini concert was over and all the students got on with using their free time. A few of them had moved on from the school having recovered from the dealings of their past. To Lenin's dismay, some were girls he liked and had a close bond with. Just after midday there was a knock on Lenin's door. He answered it to find Kirill wearing a concerned expression. "Can I come in? We've hardly seen each other lately and I've kinda missed you." 'Kinda? Normally you go crazy without me. But then I suppose the kids have been keeping everyone busy.' Lenin closed the door once Kirill was inside, facing the young Hiwatari with a stern face. "Whoa hey what's with the face Lenin? If you wanted me to leave you coulda just slammed the door in my face. Why are you so rattled lately? Kai wouldn't give me all the details, saying you'd tell me in your own time. I've been worried about you buddy." Lenin didn't answer, feeling that Kirill would be better off not knowing about the tension between him and his step father, vanishing into the bathroom. This caused Kirill to worry even more about his quiet friend, waiting patiently for him to return.

Lenin returned ten minutes later without a shirt on and seeing his muscles made Kirill's heart jump a beat. Lenin's abs were deeper than he'd imagined, his pectorals bulkier. Lenin was expecting some sort of physical contact so when it never came he was confused. "I've learnt to control my urges now, Lenin. But my feelings for you haven't changed a bit. I'm guessing your old feelings for me still haven't come back to you." Lenin shook his head negatively, momentarily leaving Kirill on his own to make a couple of drinks. Kirill was losing hope each day of Lenin ever returning his love. 'I can't have everything.' He mused until Lenin came back handing him a note and a cup. "College is okay. I just finished my course after a year of hell. I've never told you what I studied have I?" 'No.' Kirill didn't need an answer, gently taking Lenin's large hand in his smaller one. "I went in for media studies. My band hopes to be famous one day. I'd really like it if you could be with us when we reach that goal. I understand if you don't want to. I'm sure you've got your own idea of what you want out of your future."

Lenin couldn't take his eyes away from the hand Kirill had a hold of, wondering what the young rock star was going to do next. Endless possibilities pranced around in Lenin's mind and just as he thought Kirill would possibly grow bold and kiss him it happened. The kiss wasn't hasty like Lenin had thought but instead slow and unsure. Lenin did nothing to respond, just sitting there allowing Kirill to give him affection. Kirill moved his spare hand to stroke Lenin's cheek with care not to be too rough. The texture of Lenin's skin never ceased to amaze Kirill. It was always silky smooth and free of hairs. Kirill pulled away to gaze into Lenin's eyes, fearing he'd see anger. For now they remained stoic if not a little surprised. "Please Lenin. Just give me a chance. It's all I'm asking for. One shot to make you happy." Kirill was begging now and Lenin found that very odd of him. This was a situation Lenin had always hoped to avoid. 'I only see Kirill as a friend now. We've grown up a lot but he won't let go of the past. How can I let him down without causing a fight? He's likely seen me with Nolita and will think that I'd rather be with her. I suppose that's true.'

As Lenin thought of ways to tell Kirill he just wanted to be friends, similar ideas were swirling in Kirill's head. In truth he was jealous of all the girls who had tempted Lenin into bed. But he was the most envious of Nolita. She constantly had Lenin's attention outside of class. There wasn't a single day you would see them apart. Kirill knew he was being selfish, wanting Lenin to himself but he was frightened of losing him again. To a woman no less. "You don't want me do you Lenin? I can see it in your eyes. Am I not good enough for you is that it? What have those girls got personality wise that I haven't? I've spent eleven years of my life waiting for you, tied down by your memory. You're the only one I ever wanted." 'W-Where'd this come from? My eyes portray no such things. I'm confused right now. Everything is going wrong lately. And I don't think that kissing him is going to go down the right way now. I can't lose Kirill. There are still spots blurred out in my memory. Likely the love we used to share as kids. It's times like this I wish I had my voice. Telling him verbally would be so much easier.'

Kirill took Lenin's silence badly, standing from his seat on the bed to leave the room. Out of fear, Lenin seized Kirill's wrist and spun him around. Of course this didn't please Kirill one bit but one swift movement made him freeze. Lenin was so desperate to stop Kirill from walking out he'd denied his feelings of friendship and pressed his lips tightly to Kirill's. Shock took place instead of anger, soon replaced by a feeling of fulfilment. Kirill's arms snaked around Lenin's neck as the shorter teen tiptoed to get a better grip. Something began to grow within Lenin's heart as Kirill deepened the kiss he'd started. The love Lenin had for most of the girls was just a blind attraction, except for Nolita. She had roused something deep inside him that he couldn't ignore easily. Without warning the moment went wild and clothes flew everywhere. Thinking of Nolita had gotten Lenin more than a little excited, pinning Kirill to the bed. There was no question as to who would be in charge if the young men crossed the final hurdle. Lenin relocated the heated kiss to Kirill's neck, making the shorter teen curl his toes. He paid little attention to the whimpers of his name, taking the last step towards a moment he'd never forget.

Kirill wanted so desperately to believe that he was dreaming. His grip on Lenin tightened, pulling the bluenette closer as they crossed the line. Lenin closed his eyes as he gently pushed himself into Kirill so not to cause him any pain. Upon reaching his stop, Lenin looked into Kirill's eyes, quickly finding a dance of happiness in them. 'What the hell am I doing?! I never wanted it to go this far. Now Kirill's going to think I do love him. But I can't make sense of that feeling. It felt strange and unfamiliar. I'm sure Kirill experienced it too. Is it love? Have the feelings I once felt for Kirill returned? For now I need to convince him it was just a spur of the moment thing.' "What's wrong Lenin? Why aren't you doing anything? Don't leave me hanging here. You can't." Kirill was right and soon Lenin continued what he'd started. Something was driving him onwards. Guilt maybe. Or desire for pleasure. Either way Lenin found being one with Kirill was quite enjoyable since he was tighter than any girl Lenin had shagged. Each drive brought them both closer to release.

To prevent anybody outside from finding out what was happening, that went against his nature, Lenin smothered Kirill's mouth to stop him screaming, often with a kiss. Lenin's long hair had become tangled around Kirill's fingers but he didn't seem to mind each time it was pulled on. All he wanted now was to reach that pleasurable peak. Kirill however didn't want the moment to end so when Lenin finally came inside him he saddened. Taking the time to make sure all his cum was safely released into Kirill, Lenin pushed deeper into the smaller teen. Kirill's mews were quiet now since the climax had come and gone. He whimpered and whined when Lenin pulled away from him, trying to catch his breath after the body rush. "S-so big. Now I see why the girls like you so much. Lenin, I know you didn't mean for this to happen. I'm not mad at you. It was wrong of me to behave like that. I shouldn't be so selfish. But…I'd like to make a small request, Lenin. Now that we've crossed the line I'll likely want you again in the future. I'm not asking that you fuck me daily. Just every once in a while is all. That way we can both be happy. You still get the girls whilst I have my soldier."

Lenin found that he couldn't say no to Kirill, knowing it would be cruel of him to let the young Hiwatari go unloved now that they had shared a passionate moment together. Both of them wondered what Kai would say if he knew about this little affair. Plus, getting the occasional fuck meant that Kirill had the chance to reignite Lenin's love for him. Lenin wasn't sure why, but he allowed Kirill to have a shower with him. It goes without saying that Kirill tried to tempt Lenin into boning him again with little success. Once dry and dressed, Lenin banished Kirill from his room so he could rest and think about what they'd done. No doubt it was going to bug him for a while. Not too long after Kirill left, Lenin received more company in the form of a very attractive young woman he couldn't say no to. She stayed for an hour or two having her senses thrilled and brains fucked out. A do not disturb sign hung from the door handle after her departure, giving Lenin the much needed peace to dwell in the realm of thought. He stayed like that until early morning, just about one in the morning, falling asleep above the covers quickly.

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How many of you expected all that to happen? Have I become too predictable yet? Your feedback is always welcome


	9. Chapter 9

Yeah I know I did it again, song title. I always do that without realising, so I apologise. Anyhow, new chapter new baby. Read and enjoy.

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Chapter 9

Killing Me Softly

Two days later Laika and Krinjh's baby was on its way into the world. With Spencer out of commission it was up to his buddies at the hospital to aid the young couple. Ezra was fretting but Aeron was excited, unable to sit still. Rüshi being Rüshi, she taunted Ezra for being such a worry wart but her cousin wasn't taking well to it, storming up to his bedroom and locking the door behind him. Leon gave Rüshi a royal telling off she wouldn't forget in a hurry before going to console Ezra. Nobody had a spot of sympathy for Rüshi. Late into the afternoon word came that the baby had arrived safely. Leon took Ezra and Aeron to the hospital to see their new sibling. They arrived none too soon as a nurse handed Laika a pink bundle. "It's a girl. Just like her mummy. And heavy too. Go to mama little one." The nurse wasn't kidding when she said the little girl was Laika's twin. Little tufts of light blonde highlighted brown hair were a right mess. She even had Laika's nose and skin tone. Aeron and Ezra were pale too. "She's so beautiful."

The little girl opened her eyes after stifling a yawn. Shining dark brown orbs gazed at the two onlookers. Ezra and Aeron stepped closer to get a better look at their baby sister. Leon wasn't far behind, a big smile plastered on his face. "So was she worth the wait?" "Definitely. Hey beautiful. I bet you're happy to be out of there." "You've still gotta carry her though Laika." "Leon, have you not learned by now I'm the one who wears the trousers in mine and Krinjh's married life? He'll be carrying her as punishment." Leon couldn't help but laugh at the look on Krinjh's face. It wasn't too long before the child wanted feeding. Laika cared not about who was watching, popping her nipple into the child's mouth. She was used to breast feeding around people by now. "Look at her go. Spencer wasn't kidding when he said boys are starvers." "Do you not remember the appetite Aeron had? Good grief he never stopped drinking." "Yeah. I guess it just depends on the parents and how they were at that age."

With the baby girl fed it was time to give her a name. Krinjh had taken the Petrov name when he married Laika. Despite having had nine months to get ready, not one of the names prepared suited the little girl. "Winry." Aeron had a cheeky smile on his face as everyone looked at him. "Winry. It's unusual but I like it." Laika's gaze turned to the infant she was cradling with a smile, gently stroking the rosy cheek of her first daughter. "Winry Petrov. Welcome home sweetie. We'll take good care of you I promise." The happy moment was interrupted by a worried looking doctor. Leon took Aeron and Ezra out of the room to give the adults some privacy. Whatever news the doctor was bringing, it wasn't good. "I'm terribly sorry to ruin the family moment but I have some bad news. We noticed something was off with your little girl so we put her through a scan. I'm afraid to tell you that she has some fluid on the brain. If we removed it now it's unlikely that she'll survive." "Isn't there anything you can do?" Krinjh rose to his feet, feeling a sudden surge of anger. "Not until she grows up I'm afraid. You should inform Spencer. He'll likely know something that can help you."

Laika felt crushed on the inside. She'd spent nine months carrying Winry, and then an extra ten hours giving birth to the child only to find out that she won't grow up normally. This horrid news was enough to push Laika into rejecting the little bundle in her arms. For now she resisted the mental urges, not wanting to suffer the same as Monica. The doctor left silently, leaving the young parents to think. It was hard for both of them to deal with. "What do we tell the boys?" "They only need to know that Winry is sick. Aeron wouldn't understand if we told him the full truth. And I can't be certain of how Ezra will take it." Krinjh didn't need to be told that he'd have to keep a close eye on Laika. There was only one other way to release Winry from the life ahead of her. Death. "She's going to be alright, Laika. Winry has a good family behind her. They won't let our baby girl suffer. Here I'll put her to bed." Laika didn't seem to be listening and that made Krinjh very worried, asking a nurse to take Winry to the baby room as a precaution. It pained Krinjh to keep Laika and Winry apart but it was the only way to protect the baby.

By early evening all the adults of the large patchwork family had been told of the ills that befell little Winry. Spencer started searching for alternative ways to cure his niece. Just like the doctor said, there was nothing they could do for Winry until she got older. Looking at all the information reminded Spencer that one of the students also suffered from fluid on the brain. Luckily, Max had trained as a neurosurgeon a while ago so there was no need to request help from an outsider. Spencer headed to the hospital after having something to eat so he could inform Krinjh of his findings. Rüshi went along with him. At the school, Sonya was spending some time with Tyler. They'd become good friends over the weeks and were almost inseparable. Semyon was fairly certain that Sonya had found her future boyfriend already. Sonya and Tyler were just walking down a corridor when Timmy started acting weird. He whined and yowled, frightening Sonya. "Timmy what's wrong?" The answer was soon revealed as Tyler used the wall to steady himself. He looked to be in pain, a lot of it. Sonya felt Tyler's grip on her hand loosen making her worry. "Tyler? Tyler are you okay?"

The young man in question didn't really know how to answer as the pain escalated to a new level. Sonya wished there was something she could do to help, not liking the pain filled groans coming from Tyler. "Sonya…go and get help. Quickly." "Tyler what's going on? I'm scared." Before Tyler could console Sonya, a booming voice echoed in the hall. "Tyler! Get the hell away from him!" Sonya moved away more out of fear than anything else. A young man identical to Tyler ran up to him, a panicked look on his face. He was probably no older than Lenin. "Tom…" "Hush your lips. How long ago did the pain start?" "Just now. Don't take it out on Sonya. She didn't do anything." "You should be more concerned about yourself Tyler. Come on little brother. I'll be having words with someone about this. As for you, stay the hell away from Tyler. I don't want to see him in your company again do I make myself clear?" Sonya nodded, taking a few steps back. Afterwards, she listened to the sound of Tom's thundering footfalls fading into the distance. Sonya wasn't sure why he hated her so much.

Max and Semyon were called to the medical wing from their break by an urgent call. Semyon had met Tyler rather briefly only a few days ago when he found the boy with Sonya. "Tyler! What happened?" The growl coming from Tom told Semyon that the protective big brother wasn't amused. "He was in the company of that blind girl when the headaches came on. I've told Tyler numerous times to stay the hell away from her." Semyon knew full well who Tom was talking about, not taking kindly to his aggression. "What have you got against my daughter? Sonya would never seek to harm Tyler. He's one of the only friends she has." "I don't care. Keep her the hell away from my brother. I've heard the rumours about her." Tala stepped into the room just in time as Semyon was very close to punching Tom in the face. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything. I just received word from Spencer about how to rid this young man of that bothersome fluid. He suggests that you perform a ventriculostomy, Max. And soon." "I'll need permission from both Tom and Tyler." Tom gave a nod but Tyler was struggling to cope with the pain so he couldn't answer.

Time was of the essence so Max acted only on Tom's consent. His timing couldn't have been better as Tyler went into a seizure seconds later. Tala went in search of Sonya upon Semyon's request, leaving him with Tom. "Something you wanted old man?" "Yes as a matter of fact there is. I wanna know why you hate my daughter so much. She's done nothing to hurt anybody." "Alright fine. Ever since Tyler met that girl his headaches have gotten worse. Not to mention she has a habit of attracting trouble." "Are you trying to say it's Sonya's fault this happened?!" "That's exactly what I'm saying!" Semyon grabbed Tom around the throat out of anger and it showed clearly in his eyes. "You listen here boy and listen well. If I find you laying a finger on my little girl I'll rip you to pieces. That's not the only reason is it? You've heard the rumours spread by the old Balkov Abbey boys haven't you?" "Damned right I have. And there's no way to prove them wrong." "Just because Iosif was a pervert it doesn't mean that Sonya will be the same. She wouldn't even hurt a fly."

Hours later Tyler came out of theatre still under the anaesthetic. Semyon had gone to distract Sonya from worrying about the boy but he had a bad feeling that something was wrong. Tom stayed beside his brother, thinking about the ear clobbering Semyon had given him. He'd noticed how happy Sonya made Tyler regardless of the headaches. She was just a child and Tom had no right to claim she was like her father. Being raised believing Serenity was her mother had a positive effect on Sonya. There was little chance of her turning out like Iosif. 'All I wanted was to keep Tyler safe. I promised mom I wouldn't let anything happen to him. But our uncle tortured him for having a soft heart. Then he turned on me after finding out I don't swing for girls. Well since then I've started becoming more normal. Please be okay little brother. Don't give up now.' Tom gave Tyler's hand a gentle squeeze and that seemed to bring him back to life, groaning and grunting. "Tyler? Tyler can you hear me?" "Tom? Where…am I?" "You're safe little brother. Everything is going to be okay now." Max walked in with a smile and that told Tom there had been no complications with the operation. "Hey there Tyler. Do you remember me?"

Tyler looked at Max for a moment as his senses were still slow. "You…you are one of the staff." "Yeah. And I got rid of that fluid from your brain. Now you can live without fear. I'll let Sonya know he's awake." Tyler blinked with a frown on his face and Tom knew something was wrong. "Tyler? What's wrong brother?" "I don't know anybody by that name." "Tyler are you sure? Only a few hours ago you were with her, happier than you've ever been." Tyler shook his head negatively and Tom's worst fears had been realised. Tyler had no memory of Sonya. It would surely break her heart to find out her best friend no longer knew who she was. Semyon led Sonya in by the hand, noticing the look Tom was giving him. He had no time to stop Sonya from running to Tyler's bed. "Tyler! Are you okay?" "Who are you? And what are you doing here?" "Tyler it's me, Sonya." "Sorry but I have no idea who you are." Sonya looked at Semyon for help but there was very little he could do but offer comfort.

A few days went by after Tyler had the operation and lost all memory of Sonya. Since then she'd stayed away from him. Laika and Winry had been allowed home so Krinjh made sure to keep a close eye on his spouse. One morning Ian was sitting at the table with a coffee and paper when Monica came in. Her eyes were shining worriedly and he noticed it. "Monica? Are you feeling okay?" "Ian we need to talk. Now." "Okay I'm listening. You don't look very well today honey. Are you feeling alright?" "Ian I'm pregnant." Ian blinked a few times, unsure if he'd just heard Monica correct. "Are you sure Monica?" "Tests don't lie." Containing his excitement, Ian pulled Monica into his arms and kissed her forehead. He knew she was scared just by how she spoke. "It'll be okay Monica. It was just random chance how Nevan turned out. I know you're scared. I am too. This is our second chance." "No." "But Monica." "You don't know how much it hurts! Carrying a child then giving birth to it only to have all your hard work destroyed!" "You think it didn't scar me?! I was the one who cared for Nevan once he no longer needed your breast! Everything Nevan learned was with my help! You never seemed to care!"

Ian stormed out the door, leaving Monica to cry where she fell. Spencer plodded in after hearing the argument, not knowing whose side to take. He knew it was only a matter of time before Ian found somebody who would give him a child. His marriage to Monica was close to breaking. "Monica, perhaps you should go through with having the child. You're not being fair. Ian is just as frightened about the same thing happening again. If this keeps up you're going to lose him, Monica. We don't want anybody else getting hurt. It's bad enough that Laika is rejecting Winry." Monica didn't say anything. She just stood up and left the room. 'I'm sorry Ian. I tried.' Spencer didn't bother to try and stop Monica walking out on Ian. He couldn't risk losing his temper. She would likely run to Crusher who would then try to murder Ian. One by one the others piled in and Spencer informed them that Ian could be facing a divorce. Kai was the least amused and it took Hiro, Sothe and Gatrie to stop him going after Monica. They were able to calm him in time before the kids came in.

Nobody saw Ian that morning. Since it was a school day there was no time to search for him. With Ian missing, Kai took over his classes to get a break from the office. Lunch break was a welcome relief for everyone. Lenin had felt the concern for Ian radiating from the staff and confronted Kai about it in private. Sonya was sitting by herself out in the playground with Timmy. She had been deeply wounded upon discovering that Tyler had no recollection of her. Tom watched Sonya from a window inside the school. He felt sorry for her at the least. In some ways, Tom felt it was his fault that Tyler lost his memory of Sonya. Tom became distracted by a hand on his shoulder. The hand belonged to Hayner of all people. "Hey Tom. Still feeling guilty?" "Yeah. Can you blame me? I wanted Tyler to stay away from Sonya now he has no memory of their friendship." "S'pose so. But if Sonya really cared about Tyler, why isn't she trying to regain his trust? I would definitely be trying to help him remember." Tom shrugged his shoulders, watching as Timmy led Sonya inside before she had the chance to fall sick. "Maybe Sonya feels that Tyler is beyond her help."

"I would say nobody is beyond help but Pell denies that claim." "Pell? Oh the buff deaf guy that glares at everybody. He's a scary chap." Hayner couldn't argue with Tom. He had a similar first impression of Pell but over time he learned that the brunette was just protecting himself. "I wonder what turned him so cold." "Well Tom I'm afraid I can't provide that answer. Nobody knows. But I can say he's scarred to high hell. Perhaps Pell will come around in his own time but until then it's best to stay out of his way. If I'm not mistaken you're in some of Pell's classes Tom." "Yup. He sits at the back with a menacing look in his eyes. Well break will be over soon. Better start getting ready for class." Hayner gave a nod and followed Tom to the gym where they'd both be working off their lunch under Lee's command. By the time Tom and Hayner arrived at the gym, Pell was there waiting for the lesson to begin. Unlike other boys, he preferred to do sports without a shirt on despite the cold weather. Pell gave the duo a warning glance but Hayner's was less harsh.

Meanwhile in Kai's office, Kai was busy filling out some paperwork when there was a knock on his door. He answered it to see a skinny man with Pell's every feature. "Can I help you sir?" "I'm sorry for disturbing you Mr. Hiwatari. I'm Rufus Mulligan, Pell's father. I would like to discuss my sons' condition with you if that's okay." "Sure. I welcome any distraction from filling out paper work." Kai felt no harm coming from Pell's father, inviting him to sit at his desk. "Tea?" "Please. Two sugars and little milk." Kai prepared the drink in silence, setting it down in front of Rufus once he was done. "So Rufus. How did Pell enter Dean's care? Details are scant about him." "When Pell was young, no older than eight or nine, some people kidnapped him. They demanded ransom money that my wife and I couldn't afford. The police would do little to help us. In the end Pell's mother died from the stress. We had a second son, Warrick. When the trail of Pell's kidnappers ran cold I gave up looking for him. Years went by and then suddenly, when Pell would've been no older than sixteen, somebody came forward with information on his whereabouts. By then I regret to say Pell no longer remembered his family. It didn't stop me taking my boy home."

Rufus took a sip of his drink to calm down. Kai figured the scars Pell bore were from the people holding him hostage. "How did Pell react when you went near him?" "Initially, he was frightened. Most times Pell would lash out at me. I sought out the help of various councillors but none of them could get through to Pell. Over the years of his absence, I'd gained employment so I was able to afford it. But then a year after Pell was found, he snapped. Warrick normally kept his distance from Pell as I told him it was dangerous to go near him. I'd fallen ill and nobody I knew was brave enough to help look after Pell. Warrick took Pell's dinner to his room that afternoon. Other days I would leave it outside the door but Warrick got no answer. Pell was quiet but he would always let me know he was okay. The silence worried Warrick." Rufus swallowed thickly so Kai guessed things were going to get graphic and worrying. "Take your time Rufus." The man nodded, taking a few gulps of his drink to calm the nerves that were building up.

Once Rufus felt he was calm enough he continued. "I thank you for your patience, Mr. Hiwatari. It's not easy for me to speak about Pell. Not after what happened. Warrick feared that Pell might've hurt himself so he stepped into the room. Pell hated sunlight back then so his room was always dark but he kept a lamp on constantly whilst awake. It was the first and last mistake Warrick would ever make." Rufus's voice began to tremble, his body quaking at the memory he was reciting. "Pell lashed out completely unprovoked. All Warrick did was ask him if he was okay. Upon hearing some commotion I left my sick bed to see what was up. To my horror, Pell had smashed Warrick's head in with a blunt object. In doing so he triggered his memories of the times he shared with Warrick. They were close, so close they were like twins. I found Pell crouched down by Warrick's body, head in his hands mumbling to himself and crying." "What did you do then, Rufus?" "I called the police. Pell was taken into custody but he didn't go willingly. Having remembered who I was, he screamed for me to call the police off." Whilst Rufus took a breather, Kai pieced together what the scene must've looked like.

He had to wonder where Pell's muscle came from. Being held hostage, he would've been allowed little in the way of food let alone exercise. But Kai figured Rufus was getting to that part. "It was decided that given the trauma Pell had suffered, he acted in self defence." "Did you see it that way though?" "Are you trying to accuse me of beating my already abused son?" "No sir. Just speculating is all." "Yes I did see it that way after a while. At first the only thing on my mind was that Warrick had been defenceless when Pell assaulted him. He was sentenced to spend the rest of the year in community service at a warehouse. Moving all the heavy crates, Pell became more isolated and muscular. It appeared the kidnappers had forced him to cart stuff around for them. Heavy stuff. Once Pell was done with his sentence I got in touch with Dean Jenkins. We'd been talking a while about Pell's problems and he promised to help my son be normal again. Half a year later, here Pell is at your school. When Dean failed to help Pell we decided it was the best thing to do. How is he doing?"

Kai let out a quiet sigh. He never expected Pell to be capable of murder. But as Rufus said, in Pell's eyes it was self defence. After being beaten for so long Pell saw everyone as a threat. "Well Rufus I can't say Pell's better but he's getting there. But I've been wondering, as has Pell's student guide, how Dean earned Pell's trust. None of us can get it." "In truth I couldn't tell you sir. Dean spent long hours with Pell, teaching him that not all people were bad. I suppose his trust came from Kira. I know little about her to explain it but Pell immediately felt a link with Kira the second they met but he was of course cautious at first. She was admitted to Dean's care not long after Pell was. I heard of two others but I never met them. Every week or so I visited Pell to see how he was doing. It seemed my worry was doing little to help him get better." Kai frowned. "So Dean suggested you keep away from Pell during his time here so he might learn to be more comfortable?" "Yes. There was naught else I could do. I know I promised Dean I wouldn't come here but I can't just stand back whilst my boy suffers with guilt. In a way, Pell pushes people away to avoid hurting them."

Hearing everything Rufus had to say, Kai understood Pell a little better. Since the man had been torn from the brunette for so long, Kai felt he deserved to see the boy. Not long after being called, Pell arrived at Kai's office looking stern as always. Kai was eager to see how Pell reacted to seeing his father, keeping a finger on his buzzer just in case Pell flipped. For now it was a case of watch and wait. Pell seemed lost as he stood face to face with Rufus. "It's been a while Pell. Don't worry, I won't hurt you. You're probably wondering why I'm here after keeping away for so long." Pell looked pensive, sparing Kai a short glance, wondering if there was some trick at work. He stepped back when Rufus reached out to touch his cheek. There was a look of warning in Pell's eyes that pushed Rufus back to a safe distance but at the same time, there was care in his deep crimson pits. "I just came to see how you were doing Pell. I've been rather worried about you. How is Kira? From what I understand you were very close to her. Can you even hear me?" Rufus had a surprise when Pell nodded and turned his head.

Rufus could scant imagine how difficult it must've been to get Pell to wear hearing aids. He figured Dean and Kira held some sway of persuasion over him. Kai realised that the cause of Pell's deafening was not in his file. "Rufus, Pell's file says nothing about how he lost his hearing. Could you enlighten me as to how it happened?" "Oh. It's odd that Dean never told you. Pell's eardrums were severely damaged during an accident I don't know the nature of but it shook him up pretty badly. He was in hospital for weeks to recover." "Dean never told you what happened?" "No. I'm still not happy that he won't let slip why my son is now deprived of his hearing." Rufus's tone started to rise but he kept it level to avoid sparking any problems. Pell had calmed down with being near his father, taking a step forward ever so slowly. Rufus stayed absolutely still, making no sudden movements that would trigger Pell's instinct to fight back. One wrong gesture could see him injured or worse. Little by little, Pell got closer to Rufus, his hands shaking slightly. When he was finally standing almost nose to nose with Rufus, Pell gingerly reached out to hold him.

Kai twitched a little as Pell raised his arms towards Rufus. He relaxed some when the wounded teen embraced his father. Rufus did nothing to respond at first, clearly letting Pell get comfortable before lifting a hand. To put Pell's reaction simply, he flinched at Rufus's touch. He seemed afraid of making contact with him. "There, there you're safe now Pell. Nobody can hurt you anymore. I'm afraid I can't stay long. If Mr. Jenkins finds out I've been near you he'll be furious. That's why I haven't been to see you sooner Pell. Whenever I visited you at Dean's place, you'd get antsy and distant. We decided it would be best if I kept away awhile. See how you coped. Looks to me like it worked. The girls must be fighting over you constantly. A handsome guy like you shouldn't be ignored." Pell slowly balled his fists but contained any feelings of anger. "But I'm not ignored." Kai and Rufus both received a shock at the entrance of Pell's voice. Since going deaf he hadn't spoken a word to anybody other than Kira when they were alone together. His tone was gravelly at best but subdued.

Given how Pell reacted, Kai was edgier than before, his finger at the ready. To his surprise Pell was calm and fairly docile when he looked up at Rufus, an alien look in his eyes. "The other students are always looking at me like I'm some kinda freak. It scares me but I don't care. Because my friends are there. And Kira too." "Forgive me Pell. I never meant it like that. The staff won't let the other students harm you or your friends. Being impaired in various ways, you're treated with higher regard than others. So I guess you and Kira are a pair now. She must make you very happy Pell." In response Pell nodded a little. Rufus was just about overflowing with pride. He'd seen Pell in worse conditions but now he was picking himself up and had already found his future spouse. He looked at the time and decided it would be a good idea to leave. "Well I should go now. But before that I just want you to know how proud I am Pell. You've come a long way without my help. I'll try to visit more often now I know you're calm with my presence. And I'd like to meet your friends too. They all sound like wonderful young folk. But um. Don't tell Dean I've been by." "I won't. It's our secret."

Kai was happy the meeting had gone off without a hitch. Pell gave him a shock by seeing Rufus off at reception. It was there they exchanged phone numbers to keep in touch at regular intervals. With Rufus gone, Kai escorted Pell to his next lesson where Elian was waiting for him. "Hey Pell. I was getting worried. Mr. Hiwatari is everything okay?" "Yes Elian. There's no need to worry. Pell just bridged the gap with his dad that's all." Elian smiled, the relief showing on his young face. "Wow that's great. I always knew there was some friction between them but I'm happy to hear it's solved now. Will I get to meet him? Dean never allowed us near people we didn't know." "Soon Elian. I don't expect Pell's dad to be back too soon. But Rufus's visit is strictly confidential. You're not allowed to tell Dean under any circumstances. Is that clear Elian?" "Yes sir. Absolutely." Elian chuckled heartily when Kai ruffled his brown hair gently, latching onto Pell's strong arm so they could head into class together. Things were looking up for the students, of that Kai was sure.

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Rebuilding bonds and breaking them. Yup that sounds like traditional old me. More sinister things are to come.

You have been warned


	10. Chapter 10

This will be the last update to this story for a little while. I PROMISE I'll update when I'm able. Currently have a case of writer's block...again.

Well R&R. I'm getting drunk on all the feedback I've received lately.

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Chapter 10

Now or Never

Days cruised by one by one after Pell and Rufus closed the gap that separated them. Soon it was the middle of November and everyone was getting ready for Christmas. There was no word of another reunion. In all honesty it pleased Kai to not see Maverick's face again. Kirill was making slow progress with Lenin, sharing intimate time together when possible. Nolita had also been recovering from her trauma with Lenin's aid. He often spoiled her, rousing Pell's suspicion but he set it aside. Sonya had all but avoided Tyler since he lost his memory of her, finding company with another boy called Greg. Ian was now a single man and luckily still alive. Crusher had visited at the start of November and explained that Monica was being cruel and he had no desire to hurt Ian in any way. Little Winry was no better health wise but Krinjh had hopes she would be okay mentally. Aeron and Ezra were none the wiser to Winry's condition.

On November 20th Dean Jenkins paid a visit to the school. As promised he had not been informed about Rufus's visits. Kai was mildly surprised to see Dean at his office door unannounced. "Well this is a nice surprise. What brings you here today Mr. Jenkins?" "I just came by to see how the kids are doing that's all." "They're all coping well with life here at the school. Do come in and have a seat. There's a lot to catch up on." "Yes there is." Dean's voice turned hostile causing Kai's skin to crawl with unease. Turning around, Kai met an angry gaze. "Would you care to explain to me what Rufus was doing near Pell? I gave him strict orders to stay away." Kai stood his ground, fists curled tightly. "I'll have you know, Pell was in class when his father showed up so technically they were yards apart. And secondly, you never told me Pell couldn't see his dad. Neither did you tell either of us how Pell lost his hearing. I believe you're the one who should be explaining why you withheld information regarding a student." Dean apparently wasn't expecting Kai to bite back, taking a step backwards.

With Dean caught off guard Kai had the upper hand, forcing him into a corner. He had to wonder just how much information Dean had held back, knowing the man could be charged for such acts of disregard. "Now Dean, if you tell me all the Intel you didn't hand over I might just let this slide and not inform the police." "I was in a rush to get the files ready! It didn't help with Pell's father pestering me asking how his precious little boy was doing! So I'm sorry if I missed a few things out. And in regards to the loss of Pell's hearing I fear the reason has escaped me." "Your temper lifted pretty quickly Dean. That leads me to believe you have little patience for troubled youths." Dean snarled fiercely at Kai, trying to intimidate him with little success. "It just so happens I'm not having a good day. If you want the information so badly I'll go and write it up for you. It'll be easier to read anyway." Kai knew something was off about Dean trying to weasel out of verbally telling him the missing info but for now he had no reason to believe Pell and his friends had come to harm. "Very well Dean. You have until a week today. If that information isn't on my desk by then I will be in touch."

Dean fled Kai's office in such a hurry he almost bowled someone over. It turned out to be Rufus. He knew by the look on Kai's face that something was wrong. "Have I come at a bad time?" "Rufus, no not at all. I could use the company." "Dean looked a little skittish." "Yes well if people don't tell me important things I tend to not be a very nice man. I have a suspicion he withheld it for a reason. One I intend to find out." Rufus knew where Kai was going with the subject, not wanting to think of Pell being abused further by somebody he trusted. "You…think Dean caused them harm?" "It's possible. The girls would be too frightened to voice it if he did. And Elian as far as I know has always been quiet. I doubt Pell would let it stand for long." "You're right he wouldn't. If Dean pushed too far with Pell he'd be dead by now. Unless he conjured up a sick and twisted way to convince Pell he wasn't being abused." With this thought in mind, Kai summoned Kira to his office and informed Pell that Rufus was waiting for him. Pell was uneasy about leaving Kira with Kai but he was convinced eventually.

Outside the office, Lenin and Kirill were up to no good. It had taken the young Hiwatari a while to get Lenin desperate enough to bone him but his efforts were well rewarded. With their lust satisfied, Kirill and Lenin went off in different directions. Lenin headed off to meet Nolita without Kirill knowing. The blind pinkette was glad to feel Lenin's strong presence at the door, allowing him in without hesitation. They embraced briefly with a fiery kiss but it didn't last long. Having only just had sex with Kirill, Lenin wasn't quite in the mood for more. Luckily Nolita had never been in a hurry after her first disgrace. They sat in silence for a while just cuddling together on the bed on Nolita's side of the room, not caring about time. By early afternoon Nolita was getting hungry so Lenin decided to treat her to some of his cooking for a change, taking the girl by the hand gently so not to frighten her. The first leg of the journey was eventless. Minutes away from Lenin's door, somebody shouted Nolita's name and they sounded angry. Lenin snapped around to see a black haired black eyed man heading his and Nolita's way, shielding her from harm.

Nolita cowered behind Lenin, shaking in fear. Tala intercepted the man with help from Bryan. They had trouble restraining him. Lenin stared long and hard at the intruder, trying to determine his relationship to Nolita. Given how she was reacting, he appeared to be her father. It took a while but Bryan and Tala were able to subdue the man. Even while being restrained he sneered at Nolita with a lust that sickened Lenin to his stomach. "You can't protect her forever you little punk. Nolita has always been mine and it'll stay that way for the rest of her life. Isn't that right my little pet?" Lenin may not have been able to hear Nolita sobbing but he could feel her tears soaking the back of his shirt. In a blind rage, he stormed forwards and punched the man straight across the face. Neither Tala nor Bryan bothered to try and stop Lenin as he proceeded to spit on their prisoner, clearly showing his disgust. "Run along now Lenin. We'll see this bastard is punished for his negligence." The man growled even louder, his anger building up. "My name is Segun! And don't you bastards forget it!" "Yeah, yeah like we care."

The day had no end of surprises. Bryan and Tala were about to drag Segun to Kai's office when a second man appeared, almost identical to Segun only his hair and eyes were different. The new arrival had dark burgundy hair and blue eyes. Face wise, the two men were completely alike. Lenin observed the new man carefully, keeping Nolita close to him for protection. Oddly, Segun held the strangers' attention. "You?! You're supposed to be dead!" "Yes that's right. I remember now, brother." The venom coming from the red head was astounding, leading Lenin to believe there had been some tension between Segun and the man who called him brother. It was then Lenin's turn to be addressed. "Fear not, child. I pose no threat to Nolita. Segun's not her father, I am. And he damn well knows it. I request an audience with the person in charge of this school." Lenin looked to Tala and Bryan in time to see them nod. "Lenin, be a good boy and take this fellow to Kai's office. He's going to love this little problem. As for you, grunty, you're coming with us." Segun spat all the insults he could think of as he was dragged away. Once he was out of sight, Lenin turned to Segun's brother.

There was a calming air about the man that set Lenin slightly at ease. Nolita calmed down a little, hiccupping slightly. Lenin flinched when Segun's brother raised his hands. It was a false alarm since the gesture made was one of peace. "Relax young man. My name is Kalen. I know it is sudden that I'm here but I've been sleeping for a long time no thanks to Segun. Shall we be off? I am eager to meet your principal and discuss things with him." Lenin looked down at Nolita before nodding to Kalen, leading the way to Kai's office. As luck would have it, Kira was just stepping out of the room when Lenin arrived. She moved aside, feeling the unease radiating from him. Kai raised his eyebrows at having more visitors. "Ah Lenin. Wonderful timing. I need to have a quiet word with Nolita. Unless you're here for another reason?" Lenin gestured to Kalen with a jerk of his head, still keeping Nolita close. The look in Lenin's eyes told Kai all he needed to know and he sighed. "Alright. But don't go too far. Once I'm done with this man I will have that chat with your girlfriend."

Kai's sly remark irked Lenin somewhat, jutting out his chin to show the annoyance that had been aroused. Kalen was a little worried about Nolita being alone with somebody so easily provoked. "Now that we're alone, might I ask your name sir?" "Kalen. Kalen Hershnik. I stand before you in regards to Nolita." "I'm listening." "There's been a dire mistake made long ago. The man she grew up believing to be her father was a liar." "Meaning?" Kalen's eyes burned with a fierce fire that spoke on his behalf but he voiced his reasoning. "I am Nolita's father, not the foul bastard that saw fit to abuse her." Kai sat up from his thinking position, intrigued by the sudden situation. "Kalen, forgive me for being so intrusive but, why appear now and claim Nolita is your child?" "Segun, my swine of a brother put me into a coma before Nolita was born. As we grew up, Segun and I fell in love with the same girl. She looks just like Nolita from head to toe. When Kimberly chose Segun I accepted for a while that he was better for her. Until she started receiving violent beatings." "So Nolita's mother ran to you for comfort when your brother abused her?" "Yes that is correct."

Kai had no reason to believe Kalen was lying. Every word he spoke rang of truth. "I'm guessing this is how she ended up pregnant?" "Yes. Kim tried to convince Segun the child was his and for a time he believed her. But somebody ratted me out. No doubt one of his drinking buddies. By then Kim was about five months pregnant. We were none the wiser that Segun had found out about our affair. In fact, Kim and I were going to move out of Russia before Nolita was born and start a life together. A nasty car crash saw that would never happen. After that I can tell you no more. At least not until I can dig up some information. Kim's dead, isn't she? That's why Nolita's here?" Kai felt sorry for Kalen having heard his tale, setting a hand upon his shoulder with an apologetic smile. "I'm afraid that we're in the dark too, Kalen. Would you be willing to do a DNA test? It's nothing personal. Just protocol." "Yes. I don't want Segun anywhere near my little girl. Look close enough at her and you'll see she's got my smile. The same shape eyes as mine. That boy with her. Is he?" "No I was just joking with him."

Kalen appeared to visibly relax at Kai's admission. Oddly, Lenin and Nolita were sitting outside the office all cosied up together. This closeness confused Kalen. If Lenin wasn't Nolita's boyfriend, what was he to her? Support? A groupie even? Kai caught Kalen's attention by clearing his throat. "How convenient. Lenin, come with us please. Don't worry, Nolita's in no danger. But I am going to have to ask her some very sensitive questions that might upset her. Nolita would probably feel more comfortable with you present. Relax Kalen. Lenin's helping Nolita to overcome what Segun put her through. He's a good lad I assure you." Lenin went along willingly, holding Nolita's hand to offer her the much needed comfort. Semyon greeted the quartet outside a lab Lenin didn't know existed. "I hear a DNA test is in order. Right this way. I've asked Tala to ever so kindly get a sample from Segun. No doubt the man will be stubborn." The eerie feel of the room made Nolita nervous. She was thankful to have Lenin by her side. The lab was devoid of all life save for them and various machinery. Lenin helped Nolita to sit on a short stool whilst Semyon prepared what he needed to take her DNA.

Lenin glanced over in Kalen's direction. Emily had been called in to help with the test. Semyon approached Nolita with a swab that CSI used, latex gloves covering his hands. "Okay Nolita I need you to open your mouth for me sweetie. This is the easiest way for me to take a DNA sample." Sadly Nolita wasn't willing to cooperate with Semyon so he had to ask Lenin to get the sample for him. Kalen was now watching as Nolita allowed Lenin to get what Semyon needed from her. Semyon nodded his thanks to Lenin and got to work comparing the samples. Tala arrived with Segun's sample and Semyon's guess about the man being stubborn was right. Tala's fingers were bruised from being bitten multiple times. It didn't take long for the results to come through. Semyon looked to Kalen with a smile. "The test came back positive, Kalen. I can confirm that you are, by biological rights, Nolita's father. This just leaves us with one riddle. Where is Nolita's mother?" Kai stepped forward with folded arms and a determined frown. "That's what I intend to find out."

Kalen put up a mild fight when he was denied to be with Nolita during her questioning but he was comforted to know she wouldn't be alone. Lenin as Kai said, was a good lad. He knew that by how gentle he was when handling Nolita. Upon arriving at this office, Kai had to answer a quick phone call. After that his face turned a little sour. "Alright Nolita I need you to be honest with me. I understand you can't reply verbally but you can always relay your answers through Kunimi and she'll tell Lenin. He can then pass it to me. Or Kunimi could alternatively contact Dranzer, my old bitbeast. Either way is up to you. I don't mind how the answer gets to me." Looking into Nolita's eyes, Lenin knew she wanted him to relay her answers. _**"Nolita would like me to give you her answers. Mainly so that I also know more about the trauma she suffered." **_Kai nodded and asked Nolita the first question that was bound to upset her. "Nolita, let's start by the whereabouts of your mom. Is she…alive?" The answer was simple. A negative shake of the head and development of tears told Kai that Nolita was motherless. "Okay I'm sorry but I have to ask these things."

Nolita understood, allowing Lenin to dry her teary eyes. The last thing Kai wanted was to cause Nolita pain. She knew that. "Can you remember when she died?" This time there was a pause. Lenin felt Kunimi entering his mind and telling him what Nolita recited to her. _**"Nolita never met her mother. It seems they were either kept apart or Kim died during labour." **_"Very well. Onwards then. Alright so your mom was never there." Kai kept his tone gentle so not to sound too sceptical or too police-like. "Nolita, my next question relates to some missing information in your file. I'm sure you must've had a voice and the ability of sight as a girl. Do you recall how they were taken from you? Don't feel rushed to answer. Take your time." Nolita did just that. She had to ask Kunimi to delve deep into her memory and it hurt a little judging by how tightly she gripped Lenin's hand. Kunimi was concerned about her discovery and Lenin understood why soon enough. _**"Segun took Nolita's eyesight away by burning the incense out of her eyes. Her voice was lost permanently due to being abused. A mental problem."**_

To Kai it seemed like there was no end to the ferocity of what Segun did to Nolita. She was crying hard now, the memories all coming back to haunt her. Seeing Nolita so broken made Kai feel horrible. "We're almost done now Nolita I promise. I know this can't be very easy for you. Did Segun ever…touch you inappropriately? In places children shouldn't be touched in?" This question made Nolita very antsy, providing Kai with half of an answer. In the end all Nolita could do was nod in response. "It's okay Nolita. Segun won't hurt you anymore. This last question I have for you refers to your time with Dean. From my understanding you were admitted to Dean's care in order to get over your trauma. Did he ever repeat Segun's actions? Was there ever a time he took advantage of your vulnerability?" Before Nolita could answer Lenin put his foot down. _**"That's enough! You got your answers now leave her alone!" **_"Lenin I understand you feel Nolita's pain but I have reason to believe Dean Jenkins may have hurt her and the others during their time with him. If so I need Nolita to come forward and tell me so I can have the bastard arrested."

Kai had a fair point but Nolita needed to rest in Lenin's eyes. Oddly, she was willing to proceed with being questioned. The subject was a sore one at best. Nolita took a long time to answer so to help her along, Kai gave the pinkette a glass of water. Lenin stayed close by whilst Kai tried to strike up a conversation just to give Nolita time to think up her answer. This time however, the response went directly to Kai through Dranzer. The loyal phoenix also voiced her concern about Nolita's unease to tell Lenin. "Okay Lenin Nolita's free to go. Dranzer tells me that Nolita was a little uneasy with letting you know her answer. For fear of you going berserk and hurting somebody. I'll speak with Pell and Elian separately about the matter." _**"Is Dean guilty or not?" **_"I must ask you to be patient Lenin. Once I have Pell and Elian's sides to the story you'll know. I'm sorry for keeping you in the dark like this but it's for the best." Kunimi persuaded Lenin not to press the matter further, feeling that if Lenin knew, he would no doubt do something stupid. Nolita was glad to be away from Kai's office.

In the dark of night, Nolita sat awake in her bed. Ever since Kai asked her about the time she spent with Dean, Nolita couldn't stop thinking about it and all the other abuse she suffered. Kira was not blind to Nolita's worry, pulling her into a gentle hug. Across in the boys' section, Lenin was also wide awake. He was worried about Nolita now that Kalen had come into her life. He'd sent the man off with a black eye when he tried being too forward, holding Nolita close. Until Kalen started playing an active role in Nolita's life he was father in name only. Her trust was to be earned not forcefully given. To clear his head, Lenin went for a walk. The city streets were empty with the hour being so late. Lenin's aimless walk led him by Martin's house. No lights were on so he guessed the residents were in bed. Next Lenin came across a burnt down house. Kunimi and Kazuto grew very active near the building so Lenin figured it was where he used to live. He sat in the remains of what was the family room for a while, trying to picture what it would've looked like when he was a boy. Lenin knew from research that ghosts were often tied to the place they died but the spirits of his parents never came.

Dwelling on the subject wouldn't help Lenin so he resumed his walk. He visited the park next. The slides were iced over and the swings were getting rusty due to the cold and snowy weather. The roundabout was frozen into place and a set of monkey bars was covered in icy stalactites. Lenin remembered playing on the bars often as a child. Rikku was there too, frightened to follow him. Martin's face loomed in the near distance causing Lenin to flinch out of the memory feeling bitter. Lenin checked the time with tired eyes. He'd been out for nearly three hours. It was early in the morning so he decided to head back to the school. On his way, Lenin passed by some darkened streets that invited misfortune to walk along them. Lenin stopped stiff when he heard sounds of a fight. He was perfectly willing to ignore it, thinking the scene to be nothing more than a drunken brawl. Lenin thought twice when a shadowed figure started to head in his direction. In a panic, Lenin took refuge in an alley he stood by, deep enough so he was covered in shadows. He didn't get a good look at the person as they were well covered.

Lenin's heart raced as he fought to calm himself. Curiosity got the better of Lenin upon his eyes finding some small red dots in the snow. They looked like blood. Lenin was careful not to obstruct the footprints left behind in the snow, stepping clear of the red spatters too. Some way down the street Lenin could see a shadowy mass that looked too big to be a dog. Nobody in their right mind would leave an animal outside in the current weather. Lenin gripped at a pocket knife he was carrying in his pocket, fearing for the worst. What he found however, Lenin was not prepared for. There on the ground was a man, dead. His head looked like somebody had taken to it with a blunt object. Next to the body there was an envelope. Lenin immediately identified where he was standing as a crime scene. With no voice, Lenin couldn't call for help. The only option was to send somebody a message for aid. But who? Lenin stayed near the body but far enough away to not contaminate any evidence. 'What now Kunimi? You've always known what to do. Who can help me in this situation?' _('You've already identified what to do Lenin.') _Kunimi's silky smooth voice purred in Lenin's mind, soothing him.

With no other choice, Lenin looked through his contacts list. Most of the people in Lenin's phone were girls. Kirill would be too dopey to help and Kai needed to be rested up for work in a few hours. That left Lenin with only one good solution. Martin. Lenin had avoided all forms of contact with Martin after finding out his future step mother already had a son. But Martin was the only person who could help Lenin now. Kunimi and Kazuto gave Lenin the mental push that he needed to send Martin a text message. The man always kept his phone on in case Lenin or Rikku needed his help. With his message sent all Lenin could do was wait. The cold was starting to affect Lenin's joints as he crouched near the body, worried that somebody might stumble across it and assume he was the murderer, despite the lack of blood and a blunt weapon on his person. A reply came back quickly, asking Lenin where he was and what was wrong. Lenin's hands shook as he texted back. **('Rasputinoff Road. There's a dead body. Need help now.') **Within mere minutes of the message being sent, Martin came to Lenin's aid.

The police wasted no time getting to the scene upon being called. Martin had Lenin sit in the car to warm up whilst they waited. With no pad to write on Lenin had to rely on his phone once again but the battery was dying quickly. Several officers were surprised that Lenin had not been sick upon discovering a bloodied body but Martin plainly told them he'd seen a lot of dead bodies due to being abused. That seemed to back them off. With the crime scene photographed, a coroner came to examine the body. It was still warm. "This guy has only been dead about half an hour at the most. How fast did that kid get here?" Martin found the question was directed at him. "Lenin said he took cover when a cloaked figure headed his way. Once the person was gone a few minutes later he came to see what had happened. Look, my boy is not a murderer. You can see that just by looking at the lack of blood on him." "Sorry sir. I'm just a coroner. The CSI will determine whether your son is innocent. If you'll please excuse us. We need to get this body to the slab." Martin kindly stepped aside, wondering how Lenin must be feeling. Currently, he was sitting in Martin's car covered by a thick blanket.

Lenin was asked a few questions at the scene before he was taken to the station. Martin was told that although Lenin had no traces of evidence on him, he was still a suspect. Luckily both Lenin and Martin understood this so they went along calmly. After a few hours the doctor in charge of examining the body called Lenin to his lab, probably to see if he could identify the body. Looking at the victim, Lenin was surprised they even had a face left. Taking a closer peek, Lenin noticed similarities between Pell and the person on the slab. With the doctor unable to read sign language, Lenin had to use some nearby paper. "Okay I see. In that case we'll need to get in touch with the headmaster of your school immediately. You wouldn't happen to have his personal number would you?" Lenin nodded and jotted the number down. "I'll admit you youngsters are full of surprises these days. You don't strike me as a killer, kid. But I've been wrong before. The officer will escort you back to your cell." 'How do I get into these messes Kunimi?' _('Like father like son, Lenin. That's all I'm saying.')_

The morning sun started to creep over the frosty trees not too long after Lenin was able to settle into a less than comfortable sleep. By the time Lenin woke up, Martin was sitting outside his cell looking worried. Lenin turned his face away from Martin, not wanting to stare at him. 'Just because I called you for help it doesn't mean I'm going to just let you waltz back into my life.' "I know what you're thinking Lenin. Don't forget, I raised you for ten years. Or there about. Look I don't care if you hate me, I'm gonna see you through this. Those cops can stick their theories up their asses if they think I'm just going to let you go down for a murder you never committed. Neera knows what's going on and she sends her best wishes." All Lenin could in response was blow a raspberry at Martin, turning his back on him completely. To Lenin's relief Kai came storming into the block. "What in the hell is going on here?! I got a call several hours ago saying Lenin is involved in a murder case." Martin stood to meet Kai's eyes, hoping to disarm him. "Lenin didn't kill anybody, Mr. Hiwatari. He just found a body whilst taking a walk last night. Upon discovering the scene he asked me for help."

Having known Lenin for a long time, Kai didn't think he was capable of murder. It would depend who the victim was. "And I'm guessing he wants nothing to do with you now?" "Not one single ounce. Whether he likes it or not I'm staying by his side through this. If I walk away now I'll just look suspicious anyway." "True. The officer who contacted me also mentioned that Lenin believes the victim might be related to a specific student." At this Kai turned to Lenin who only nodded, not wishing to see Martin's face. He sat quietly, listening as people went by. Lenin had lost track of the time when Pell arrived and he looked pissed. Lenin didn't need to be told that the youth was jumping to conclusions. "What did he do to you?!" 'What? Is Pell sane?' Lenin tried to explain but he only received a punch to the face. It was apparent that Tala and Max had tagged along as they restrained Pell with great difficulty. Kira was also with them. "Why'd you do it?! What did my father ever do to deserve that?!" "That's enough Pell! Lenin didn't do anything to hurt him!" "Then why was he there?!" "Wrong place at the wrong time!"

Pell wasn't calming down one bit and all Lenin could do was accept the accusation thrown into his face. There was no sign that Kirill might turn up to help him. "Listen Pell. If Lenin hadn't been nearby last night, it would've taken the police a long time to find your dad's body. Look at him, Pell. Accusing Lenin of doing something right by calling the police is distressing him. Besides, he never met your father." An officer arrived in time to see Pell punching the bars of Lenin's cell hard enough to of broken his knuckles. "Pardon me young man, but this envelope was found at the scene. The CSI examining it noticed some writing on the back of the photograph. I must warn you this is no postcard." Pell took the envelope in his hand and pulled out the picture within. What he saw sent him into shock straight away. Whoever killed Pell's father was sick enough to take a photograph of Rufus's bloodied head. Turning the picture over, the killer had left a message; "Does this look familiar, Pell?" Instead of turning aggressive, Pell fell to his knees, crying. Kira knelt beside Pell and tried to comfort him through the memories. Kai had apparently been present when Pell opened the envelope.

He was the only one who knew about Pell's brother and how the boy had died but now the story would have to be told for everyone to understand the reaction provided by the crimson eyed brunette. "Listen guys. When Pell's father first came to my office, he told me what Pell had been through before coming to us. He was kidnapped at the age of eight or nine and held prisoner until he was sixteen. During those years the kidnappers abused him violently. By the time Pell was returned to his family, the memory of them was gone and he was more dangerous than a caged lion. His big brother Warrick was helping to look after Pell whilst Rufus was ill. I regret to say that Warrick was killed…by Pell's hand. After being abused for so long, Pell saw everyone as a threat, and so sought to defend himself. Whoever killed Rufus, knows how Warrick died. The last thing Pell wanted was to hurt his family. Killing Warrick in self defence brought his memories forward, thus scarring him. That's why he pushes people away. He's afraid to hurt them like he did his own flesh and blood."

Max and Tala looked at each other in mild horror, Kira increased her attempts to soothe Pell and Lenin looked at the brunette in pity. Kai had quiet words with one of the officers, asking for updates on the situation if they found anything. With the emergence of new evidence, Lenin was asked to provide a sample of his handwriting to compare it with. Obviously it wasn't a match so Lenin was let go. On the drive to the school, Pell was kept away from Lenin until they got there. Nobody dared to do so much as breathe, fearing for their lives. Lenin could see an apology in Pell's eyes, setting a hand upon his shoulder gently. "The headmaster says I should apologise for the way I spoke to you back at the station. He's right, I was out of line. If anything, I should be grateful you found my dad so quickly." In response, Lenin gave Pell the thumbs up and a smile. He would've done the same in Pell's position. Overall, Lenin was proud of Pell for admitting he was wrong. Kirill was found frantically searching for the mute giant, smacking straight into the cause of his panic blindly. "Lenin you're alright! When nobody could tell me where you were I panicked. What's going on Kai?"

So that the matter remained private, Kai took Kirill to his office to explain it. Lenin meanwhile headed straight to his dorm to get a shower and a bit of rest. Several hours later, Lenin woke to somebody cuddling him. To his glee it was Nolita in his bed with him. Lenin doubted she'd been told about Pell's dad or if Nolita had even seen her deaf friend. The only thing on Lenin's mind was to keep Nolita smiling. It wasn't until Nolita's stomach growled that Lenin realised he too was hungry. It didn't take him long to whip up a meal for two, helping Nolita to sit at the little desk he often ate at. Lenin didn't need a verbal opinion from Nolita. Her smile was the only expression he wanted to see. After dinner they went for a walk around the school, wrapping up warm to avoid winter's icy bite. All the while, Nolita remained unaware of the ordeal Lenin had been through that morning. That was just how he wanted to keep it. The last thing Nolita needed was one more thing to worry about. Snow started to fall so Lenin took Nolita inside out of the cold. Little that they knew, Hayner and Lyov were watching them.

* * *

Told you things would get sinister. And what a mild surprise, Lenin's temper slipped. I do kinda need help. I'm torn on my OC pairing. I want to put Lenin with Nolita but at the same time, I planned on pairing him with Kirill. What do you guys think? should I make my first triple pairing?

Well I'll see ya'll soon.

Don't forget to review! The button won't bite, I assure you!


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